ENGINEERS’  REPORT  , 

FOR  SUPPLYING  THE 

CITY  OF  ROCHESTER 

WITH 

WATER 


FROM 

VARIOUS  SOURCES, 


MADE  TO  THE 


BY 

STUART  &  MARSH, 

CIVIL  ENGINEERS. 

NEW  YORK,  OCTOBER  1st,  1853. 


NEW  YORK: 

BAKER,  GODWIN  &  CO.,  BOOK  AND  JOB  PRINTERS, 

CORNER  NASSAU  AND  SPRUCE  STREETS. 

1853. 


W  W\ 


St  q  e. 


REPORT. 


Sources  of  pure  water,  from  which  the  City  of  Ro¬ 
chester  can  be  abundantly  supplied,  are  either  so  dis¬ 
tant  as  to  render  the  works  required  to  convey  it,  by  the 
force  of  gravity,  to  the  tops  of  the  highest  houses  in  the 
City,  quite  expensive,  or  else  so  low  as  to  involve  a  large 
and  constant  expense  to  elevate  it  to  the  necessary  height 
for  proper  distribution.  At  various  times  Hemlock,  IIo- 
neoye,  and  Canadice  lakes,  and  their  outlets,  Caledonia 
Springs,  Allen’s  Creek,  the  Genesee  River,  and  Lake  On¬ 
tario,  have  each  been  suggested  as  a  source  from  which 
a  supply,  both  suitable  in  quality  and  ample  in  quantity, 
could  be  drawn,  for  the  present  and  future  wants  of  your 
flourishing  and  beautiful  city. 

It  is  proposed  to  show  in  this  Report  some  consider¬ 
ations  and  facts  as  to  the  feasibility  of  adopting  some  one 
or  more  of  these  sources  of  supply  for  your  present  and 
future  wants,  the  urgent  demand  for  immediate  action, 
and  to  examine  the  mode  by  which  this  great  desidera¬ 
tum  may  be  best  attained. 

The  long  residence  of  the  undersigned  in  your  city  in 
past  years,  and  professional  engagements  in  connection  with 


4 


the  State  Works,  have  afforded  ns  very  many  opportuni¬ 
ties  to  become  acquainted  with  localities  in  the  city  and 
surrounding  country,  and  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
character  and  extent  of  the  lakes,  rivers,  and  other  water 
courses  that  so  plentifully  abound  in  Western  New  York. 
It  is  quite  fortunate  that  this  is  so,  otherwise  it  would 
not  have  been  possible  for  us  to  have  presented  the  re¬ 
sults  embodied  in  this  hurried  Report,  within  the  six  weeks’ 
time  allowed,  in  which  to  make  the  surveys  of  the  sev¬ 
eral  proposed  routes,  and  prepare  the  maps,  plans,  and 
report  for  the  consideration  of  the  Company. 


Remembering,  as  citizens,  the  lamentable  deficiency, 
both  in  the  quality  and  quantity  of  water  for  family  and 
other  necessary  uses,  we  have  entered  upon  this  interest¬ 
ing  investigation,  deeply  sensible  of  the  important  duties 
devolving  upon  us,  and  only  anxious  so  to  illustrate  it  as 
to  secure  the  united  and  vigorous  action  of  your  intelli¬ 
gent  citizens  and  energetic  City  Councils,  in  carrying  out 
a  plan  that  will  give  your  city,  for  all  future  time,  an  am¬ 
ple  supply  of  pure  and  wholesome  water. 


SOURCE  OF  SUPPLY. 

With  much  truth  has  it  been  said,  that  u  the  varied 
practical  purposes  of  domestic  life  to  which  puke  water  is 
alone  applicable,  and  the  intimate  connection  of  many  of 
these  purposes  with  the  health,  life,  and  well-being  of  hu¬ 
manity,  at  once  attest  the  high  importance  of  an  abun - 


dance  and  excellence  of  this  vital  liquid,  for  every  congre¬ 
gation  or  community  of  human  beings.  The  means,  there¬ 
fore,  of  obtaining,  treating,  and  economizing  it,  are  among 
the  most  important  objects  of  human  art.  The  works  of 
the  engineer  must  be  regulated  by  considerations  of  the 
available  methods  of  securing  ample  water  supply  and 
efficient  drainage  ;  and  these  considerations  will  present 
themselves  with  that  imperative  character  which  they  de¬ 
rive  from  the  public  will,  and  which  cannot  be  counter¬ 
vailed  by  any  scruples  of  private  economy,  or  any  oppo¬ 
sition  of  corporate  prejudice. 

u  All  water  at  our  command  for  practical  use,  is  more 
or  less  impure.  Thus,  rain-water  contains  ammonia,  and 
sea-water  a  variety  of  salts ;  whilst  the  water  from  lakes 
rivers,  springs,  and  wells,  contains  various  kinds  of  impur¬ 
ities,  and  these  impurities  are  dispelled  only  by  a  com¬ 
pound  process,  or  rather  a  series  of  processes,  by  which 
such  matters  as  are  mechanically  suspended  in  the  water 
are  allowed  to  subside,  or  are  arrested  by  filtering  media, 
and  the  chemical  impurities  are  absorbed  and  withdrawn 

jl. 

by  suitable  agents.”  As  all  the  earthy,  animal,  and  vege¬ 
table  matters  with  which  water  becomes  charged,  are  ex¬ 
tracted  from  the  soil  through  which  or  the  surfaces  over 
which  it  passes,  it  follows  that  the  nature  of  these  mat¬ 
ters  depends  upon  the  constituents  of  the  soil  which  is 
percolated,  the  amount  of  them  will  be  in  proportion  to 
the  time  during  which  the  water  is  maintained  in  commu¬ 
nication  with  the  soil,  modified,  of  course,  by  the  degree  in 
which  they  may  be  adapted  for  mutual  action.  “  Thus,” 
remarks  Professor  Silliman,  u  the  geological  character  of  a 
country  will  in  a  great  measure  determine  the  character 
of  the  stream  flowing  through  it.  It  must  be  remembered 


6 


that  water  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  solvents  known  to 
chemists  ;  and  that  it  cannot  fall  npon  the  surface  of  the 
earth  without  becoming  impregnated,  to  some  extent,  with 
the  soluble  matters  of  the  rocks  and  soils  over  which  it 
runs.  A  careful  analysis  of  the  waters  of  a  given  region 
may  enable  an  acute  chemist  to  judge  with  considerable 
certainty  of  the  mineral  nature  of  the  country,  from  what 
he  finds  in  its  waters.  In  a  limestone  region,  we  look 
principally  for  lime  and  magnesia  in  the  natural  waters, 
and  liave  little  reason  to  expect  the  presence  of  many 
other  ingredients  which  are  found  in  the  various  minerals 
of  a  primitive  country.  The  waters  of  a  limestone  region 
are  generally  hard ,  or  at  least,  not  so  soft  as  those  of  a 
granite  region.  The  quality  of  hardness  is  one  of  great 
importance  to  be  known,  and  is  owing  usually,  and  I  be¬ 
lieve  I  may  say  always,  to  the  presence  of  soluble  salts 
of  lime  and  magnesia  in  the  water.  Soap  forms  an  insol¬ 
uble  lime  compound — lime-soap — in  hard  waters,  which  fills 
the  water  with  a  white,  curdy  precipitate,  harsh  to  the  touch, 
and  a  serious  impediment  to  the  use  of  the  water  for 
many  domestic  purposes.  Perhaps  no  single  character  is 
of  more  importance  to  be  known  than  that  of  the  hard¬ 
ness  or  the  reverse  of  a  natural  water.” 

Rochester  being  located  on  a  high  table  of  carbonifer¬ 
ous,  lime-rock  formation,  there  are  but  few  springs,  and 
those  are  highly  charged  with  the  mineral  through  which 
they  pass.  The  finding,  therefore,  of  any  considerable  sup¬ 
ply  of  soft  water  is  impossible ;  as  those  excellent  springs 
having  their  sources  in  primitive  mountains,  cannot  find 
their  way  to  a  high  table  of  secondary  rock. 

The  well-water  now  used  to  supply  mostly  the  city,  is 


7 


not  only  hard,  with  a  few  unimportant  exceptions,  but 
also  very  impure  and  unfit  for  domestic  use,  as  will  appear 
from  an  examination  of  the  analysis,  given  below,  of  sev¬ 
eral  wells  taken  from  different  localities  in  the  town. 

The  Table  also  shows  the  amount  of  solid  matter  in 
one  gallon  of  water ,  from  the  various  sources  mentioned, 
from  wells,  lakes,  and  rivers,  at  home  and  abroad. 


Grs,  Solid  Matter. 


LONDON  .  . 

\  Thames  River, 

|  New  “ 

28.000 

19.200 

PARIS  .  .  . 

Artesian  Well, 

9.860 

i 

NEW  YORK  . 

• 

t  Croton, 

■j  Manhattan,  Well, 

(  Avg.  several  City  Wells, 

6.998 

125.000 

58.000 

ALBANY  .  .  ’ 

f  Lydius  St.  Well, 
j  Old  State  House, 

\  At  Exchange, 

|  Capitol  Park,  . 

{_  Hudson  River, 

19.240 

36.000 

64.680 

65.52(1 

6.320 

TROY  .  .  . 

Mohawk  “ 

7.880 

BROOKLYN  .  Avg.  Long  Island  Ponds,  . 

f  Corner  Gold  &  Nassau  Streets,  . 
High  <fc  Jay  “ 

Fulton  &  Washington  St., 
Douglas  &  Smith  St., 

|  Opposite  Mansion  House,  Hicks  St., 
Union  St.  near  Columbia,  . 


do  Well  Water 


ri 


<< 

u 


2.367 

38.400 

58.640 

46.440 

76.960 

43.200 

11.760 


BOSTON 


f  Coclii  tuate  Lake, 

I  Well,  Beacon  Hill, 
j  “  Tremont  Street, 
[_  “  At  Longacre,  . 


1.850 

50.055 

26.600 

56.800 


BRIDGEPORT,  Ct  Pequomock  River, 


0.992 


PHILADELPHIA.  Schuylkill 


4.260 


f  Well,  North  Fitzhugh  Street, 

“  South  do  “ 

“  North  Washington, 

“  3d  Ward  House,  Cornhill, 

“  East  Avenue,  near  Gibbs  St. 


ROCHESTER  . 


26.000 

16.740 

34.110 

41.000 

32.160 


8 


As  early  as  1838,  the  then  Mayor  of  Rochester  urged 
upon  the  Common  Council  the  necessity  of  supplying  the 
city  with  pure  water,  and  recommended  the  pumping  of  it 
from  the  river  into  reservoirs,  and  filtering  it  before  distri¬ 
bution  to  the  inhabitants.  / 

He  also,  in  his  report,  alludes  to  the  supply  from  wells, 
and  says,  “  How  much  of  the  sickness  and  disease  of  our 
city  arises  from  its  filth,  and  impurity  of  its  water,  it  is 
impossible  to  tell;  but  when  we  reflect  that  within  its 
narrow  compass  near  21,000  individuals  are  inclosed,  and 
that  their  only  water  is  that  which  they  draw  from  the 
common  level  beneath  their  feet,  we  are  at  once  inclined 
to  believe  that  very  much  of  our  disease  has  its  cause 
here.  An  abundance  of  good  water  promotes  health,  not 
only  by  its  domestic  use,  but  by  contributing  to  the  gen¬ 
eral  cleanliness  of  the  city,  by  purifying  the  atmosphere, 
cleansing  the  streets,  yards,  and  sewers,  and  washing  off* 
and  conveying  to  the  river  and  lake  the  dirt  and  filth 
necessarily  attending  a  crowded  population.” 

If  this  was  a  true  picture  fifteen  years  ago,  how  much 
more  truthful  now,  with  a  population  double  in  numbers, 
and  your  sources  of  supply  necessarily  much  more  impure, 
as  well-water  must  degenerate  as  the  inhabitants  become 
more  dense,  and  the  impurities  are  collected  on  or  under 
the  surface,  and  unavoidably  penetrate  into  these  wells, 
and  gradually  drain  and  drip  to  the  bottom.  This  is  the 
case  in  every  rapidly-growing  city,  as  is  evidenced  by 
every-day  observation,  and  the  experience  of  all  the  large 
towns  in  this  country  and  Europe.  The  table  already  gi¬ 
ven  shows  this  very  conclusively,  and  the  opinion  of  many 
eminent  physicians  confirms  it. 

Some  twenty  years  ago,  several  of  the  most  able  and 


9 


experienced  physicians  of  Boston  were  called  upon  for 
their  opinions  relative  to  the  injurious  effects  the  use  of  the 
well-water  of  that  city  had  upon  the  health  of  its  inhabit¬ 
ants  ;  and,  as  their  conclusions  were  quite  unanimous,  and 
aroused  the  citizens  to  the  necessity  of  supplying  themselves 
with  better  water,  a  few  extracts  from  their  able  Report 
may  not  be  inappropriate  here. 

Dr.  Warren  says,  “I  can  state  as  a  result  to  be  relied 
on,  that  the  water  commonly  used  from  our  city  wells ,  is 
apt  to  produce  and  to  maintain  disorders  of  the  stomach 
and  digestive  organs,  and  that  there  are  cases  of  these  af¬ 
fections  which  cannot  be  removed  so  Ions:  as  its  use  is  con- 
tinned.” 

“  In  several  cases  of  obstinate  and  long-standing  affec¬ 
tions  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  I  have  directed  the  patients 
to  use  soft  water,  instead  of  hard  wellr water,  and  have 
been  satisfied  that  the  change  has  produced  a  very  favor¬ 
able  effect.” — Dr.  Hayward. 

“  I  believe  the  water  from  the  wells  is  in  a  great  degree 
unwholesome,  predisposing  some  to  calculous  and  others  to 
bilious  disorders.  The  ram-water  is  not  fit  for  use.  The 
soot  and  other  impurities  on  the  roofs  thicken  it,  and  the 
leaves  dye  it  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  hardly  do  to  wash 
with.  I  have  been  a  resident  in  Boston  more  than  a  third 
of  a  century,  and  the  population  has  tripled  during  that 
time.  The  water  has  very  much  deteriorated  within  that 
time.  A  spring  very  soft,  and  affording  much  water,  at 
the  upper  part  of  Old  Temple  street,  has  become  hard ,  and 
the  water  much  diminished.  The  public  well  in  Scott’s 
Court,  that  thirty  years  ago  produced  excellent  water,  is 


10 


t 


unfit  for  use.  The  same  may  be  said  of  other  public  wells.” 
- — Dr.  Shurtleff. 

u  I  am  not  possessed  of  any  proof  that  the  inhabitants 
have  actually  sickened  from  bad  water ;  still  it  is  my  firm 
belief,  that  the  supply  of  water  is  deficient  both  in  quality 
and  quantity.  Let  the  people  have  a  full  supply,  as  pure 
as  furnished  by  the  mountain  stream — provided  such  water 
can  be  found  and  conveyed  to  the  city,  within  its  convenient 
means — with  the  addition  of  pure  air ;  and  all  is  done  that 
men  can  do,  to  prevent  epidemic  disease .  Putting  aside 
human  life  and  human  comfort,  one  sweeping  epidemic  may 
injure  the  property  of  the  city  to  a  greater  amount  than  the 
entire  cost  of  an  aqueduct  to  supply  the  city  with  pure  wa¬ 
ter.” — Dr.  ShattucJc. 

Having  seen  what  the  present  sources  of  supply  are,  we 
turn  our  attention  to  those  for  the  future ,  and  find  the 
quality  of  the  waters  proposed  to  be  according  to  the  fol¬ 
lowing  careful  analysis  made  from  specimens  selected  this 
month  from  the  localities  named  : — 


SOLID  CONTENTS  IN  ONE  GALLON  OF  WATER. 


Li 

M 

Li 

Li 

U 


1. 

From  foot  of  Hemlock  Lake,  .... 

1  330 

-L*l  00 

grains 

2. 

a 

“  Honeoye  “  .... 

4. 

u 

3. 

u 

Lake  Ontario  (the  day  after  a  severe  storm,) 

1000  feet  from  shore,  and  west  of  piers, 

4  160 
’•100 

tt 

4. 

it 

Lake  Ontario,  in  front  of  piers  on  the  same 

day  as  above,  and  half  a  mile  out  in  lake, 

10. 

<4 

5. 

ll 

Honeoye  Outlet,  1  mile  south  of  Honeoye 

Falls,  ...... 

43  1  0 

4.HTF 

tt 

6. 

XL 

Honeoye  Outlet  at  West  Rush  (with  lime), 

00 

tt 

7. 

tt 

Genesee  River,  at  Wolcott’s  Dam, 

1 1  -21- 

A  •  l  0  o 

tt 

11 


From  the  above  it  appears  that  No.  1,  is  very  pure  and 
the  water  is  soft,  as  also  that  of  No.  2  and  No.  5. 

The  day  immediately  following  a  severe  storm  and  rain 
was  taken,  as  the  most  suitable,  to  procure  the  water  from 
Lake  Ontario,  as  it  would  be  at  that  period  the  most  affected 
by  the  Genesee  Biver.  This  river  does  not  at  once  mingle 
with  the  lake  waters,  but  flows  directly  out  from  the  piers, 
or,  according  to  the  direction  of  the  wind,  either  to  the  east¬ 
ward  or  westward,  while  the  prevailing  direction  of  the 
current  is  to  the  east. 

During  a  storm,  and  for  one  or  more  days  after  it,  the 
waters  of  this  lake,  for  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  from 
the  shore,  are  quite  turbid,  but  soon  become  transparent 
and  pure.  This  or  similar  water  is  used  or  is  contemplated 
for  use,  at  Detroit,  Cleveland,  Buffalo,  Oswego,  and  Mon¬ 
treal,  and  in  each  instance  by  artificial  elevation.  From 
this  source,  an  abundant  supply  of  pure  and  wholesome 
water  would  be  undoubted  for  all  time. 

No.  6,  from  the  ILoneoye  Outlet  at  West  Bush,  con¬ 
tains  nearly  one-third  more  solid  contents  than  that  from 
the  same  outlet  several  miles  farther  up  the  stream  (near 
Smithtown),  and  is,  in  addition,  strongly  impregnated  with 
lime ,  having  passed  over  lime  rock  in  its  descent  from  the 
Honeoye  Falls,  and  also  taken  in  the  streams  of  the  inter¬ 
mediate  country,  which  are  not  only  much  harder  than 
those  of  the  Hemlock  and  Honeoye  lakes,  but  also  more 
impregnated  with  the  wash  of  the  several  villages  border¬ 
ing  the  outlet  below  the  Falls,  and  the  neighboring  coun¬ 
try,  and  are,  consequently,  more  liable  to  impurities  from 
rains  and  floods  than  the  waters  nearer  the  fountain  head 
or  lake  reservoirs. 


12 


The  last  number  (seven),  from  the  Genesee  River  at  the 
dam  near  Mount  Hope,  is  of  course  the  most  objectionable  in 
its  quality,  especially  on  account  of  its  being  strongly  impreg¬ 
nated  with  lime,  by  its  own  natural  flow  over  a  limestone 
formation  for  some  distance,  and  by  the  tributary  streams  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  city.  At  seasons  of  floods  much  sediment 
is  contained  in  its  waters,  which  renders  it  unfit  for  domestic 
use,  without  allowing  it  to  settle  in  a  large  receiving  reservoir, 
and  then  filtering  it  thoroughly  before  distribution.  By  a 
judicious  arrangement  of  these  reservoirs,  and  proper  care  in 
their  management,  its  impurities  could  be  arrested,  and  the 
water  rendered  fit  for  service,  as  is  done  at  Philadelphia,  and 
other  cities  where  the  supply  is?:obtained  from  rivers. 

The  cluster  of  small  lakes  known  as  the  Hemlock,  Honeoye,. 
and  the  Canadice  Lakes,  are  situated  in  the  counties  of  Onta¬ 
rio  and  Livingston,  from  twenty-six  to  twenty-eight  miles  from 
Rochester,  and  discharge  their  waters  into  the  Genesee  River 
(through  Iloneoye  Creek),  about  fifteen  miles  south  of  that 
city. 

From  surveys  and  examinations  made  of  these  lakes  by 
the  undersigned  in  1818,  for  the  State  of  Hew  York,  it  was 
ascertained  that  they  cover  an  area  of  3,846  acres,  and  receive 
the  drainage  of  67,673  acres,  as  follows  : 


Hemlock  Lake,  area  1,566  acres;  drains  24,513  acres. 

Honeoye  “  “  1,730  “  “  33,430  “ 

Canadice  “  “  550  “  “  9,730  “ 

The  estimated  quantity  of  water  that  annually  falls  into  these 
lakes,  assumed  as  twelve  inches,  or  one-third  the  averaged 
quantity  of  rain  for  a  series  of  years  in  this  State,  as  reported 
by  the  Regents  of  the  University,  is  as  follows  : 


13 


Hemlock  Lake,  1,067, *786,280  cubic  feet. 

Iloneoye  “  1,456,210,800  “  “ 

Canadice  “  423,838,800  “ 

Total  2,947,835,880 

It  is  unnecessary  to  pursue  this  investigation  further  to 
show  the  vast  quantity  of  water  in  store  in  these  lakes,  from 
which  to  draw  a  full  supply  for  the  city ;  we  will,  therefore, 
pass  on  to  inquire  into  the  quality  of  the  water,  and  the  means 
best  adapted  to  furnish  the  required  quantity  by  the  force  of 
gravity  alone,  at  such  an  elevation  as  to  reach  the  tops  of  the 
most  elevated  buildings  in  Rochester. 


HEMLOCK  LAKE 

Is  six  and  one-fourth  miles  long,  and  has  an  average  breadth 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  rods.  The  shores  are  bold, 
giving  generally  about  eight  feet  of  water  at  four  rods  out, 

and  the  hills  on  either  side  of  it  rise  from  the  water’s  edge 

¥ 

by  steep  acclivities,  and  attain  an  elevation  of  over  two  hun¬ 
dred  feet.  A  swamp  occupies  the  valley  at  the  head  of  the 
lake,  containing  an  area  of  nearly  one  hundred  acres.  Im¬ 
mediately  south  of  this  small  swamp  the  valley  rises  rapidly. 
The  soundings  at  the  foot  and  along  the  sides  of  the  lake 
indicate  sand,  gravel,  and  clay.  At  the  foot  there  is  a 
sand  beach  extending  about  twenty  rods.  The  level  of  the 
water  is  usually  354  feet  above  the  Erie  canal,  in  Rochester. 

CANADICE  LAKE, 

Situated  midway  between  Hemlock  and  Honeoye  lakes,  re¬ 
ceives  the  drainage  of  a  much  more  limited  area,  and  is  the 


14 


smallest  of  the  three,  being  only  about  three  miles  in  length, 
with  an  average  breadth  of  eighty-eight  rods.  The  inlet  is 
small,  the  lake  being  copiously  fed  by  springs ;  and  the  hills 
on  its  sides  are  steep  and  high.  It  is  also  the  most  elevated, 
being  not  less  than  one  hundred  feet  above  Hemlock,  and 
considerably  higher  than  the  Honeoye  lake.  A  swamp  of 
about  one  hundred  acres  in  extent  lies  at  the  head  of  the 
lake,  the  surface  of  which  is  generally  about  on  a  level 
with  it. 

HONEOYE  LAKE. 

This  lake  is  over  four  miles  long,  and  averages  about  two 
hundred  rods  wide.  It  is  by  far  the  most  shallow  of  the  two — 
the  greatest  depth  of  water  not  over  thirty  feet.  The  hills  on 
either  side  are  less  abrupt  than  those  bordering  the  Hemlock 
and  Canadice  lakes.  The  inlet  is  small,  and  flows  through  a 
swamp  of  seven  hundred  acres,  which  occupies  the  valley  at 
the  head  of  the  lake,  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  water.  The 
earth  generally  along  the  shores  is  sand,  gravel,  and  blue 
clay,  the  last  is  found  in  the  bed  of  the  lake.  Its  level  above 
the  canal  in  Rochester  is  259  feet. 


15 


PLANS  AND  COST  OF  SUPPLY. 

• 

From  the  foregoing  it  appears  that  a  bountiful  sup¬ 
ply  of  pure  and  wholesome  water  is  within  your  reach, 
from  several  sources,  if  the  necessary  cost  to  convey  it  to 
suitable  reservoirs  and  distribute  it,  is  not  beyond  a  pru¬ 
dent  expenditure,  having  reference  to  the  present  size  and 
future  growth  of  your  city. 

This  brings  us  naturally  to  inquire  what  quantity  of 
water  is  probably  demanded  for  your  present  population 
and  what  additional  amount  will  it  be  prudent  to  estimate 
and  provide  for,  within  a  reasonable  future? 

The  experience  of  the  principal  cities  of  the  United 
States  furnishes  considerable  data  for  an  approximate 
estimate  of  the  quantity  of  supply  required  at  present;  and 
this  has  been  assumed  at  40  gallons  per  day  to  each  water 
taker,  the  probable  number  at  present  being  25,000,  in¬ 
creasing  to  50,000  twelve  years  hence.  Under  this  assump¬ 
tion  the  estimates  for  the  several  plans  have  been  based 
on  a  present  supply  of  1,000,000  gallons,  providing  for  an 
extension  to  2,000,000  gallons.  The  estimates  for  the  sev¬ 
eral  plans  presented  are  limited  to  the  last  amount,  with 
the  exception  of  the  plan  of  supply  from  the  outlet  south 
of  Lloneoye  Falls,  which  is  delivered  by  the  force  of  grav¬ 
ity,  and  has  sufficient  head  and  quantity  to  allow  an  in¬ 
crease  to  2,500,000  gallons  without  material  increase  of 
cost  except  for  distribution. 

By  reference  to  the  accompanying  maps  it  will  be  seen 
that  five  several  lines  have  been  surveyed  and  estimated 
upon  :  two  from  Lake  Ontario,'  one  from  the  Genesee  Biver, 
one  from  LLoneoye  outlet,  at  West  Kush,  and  one  from  the 


* 


16 

outlet  south  of  IToneoye  Falls.  These,  with  the  exception 
of  the  last,  involve  the  use  of  pumping  machinery ;  the 
elevation  of  the  city  above  the  lake,  and  the  elevation 
of  the  distributing  reservoir  above  the  general  level  of  the 
city,  precluding  any  supply  by  gravity,  except  from  this 
source,  as  will  be  further  seen  by  reference  to  the  follow¬ 
ing  table  of  elevations  : — 


Distance 

Above 

Above 

LOCALITIES. 

from 

Rochester. 

Ontario. 

Erie  Canal. 

Miles. 

Feet. 

Feet. 

Lower  Falls,  . 

2 

98.00 

Head  of  Buell  avenue,  .... 

.  2 

208.00 

Lake  View,  . 

2 

279.00 

Erie  Canal  in  Rochester, 

• 

260.00 

Highest  street  in  “  .  ... 

• 

290.00 

Summit,  Spring  street,  .... 

• 

18.00 

“  Washington  street. 

• 

20.00 

“  Sophia  “  .... 

• 

19.00 

“  St.  Paul  “  ... 

• 

24.00 

“  Court  “  .... 

• 

26.00 

“  Gibbs  and  Main, 

• 

80.00 

‘‘  East  avenue,  .... 

• 

28.00 

Most  of  Fourth  and  Sixth  Wards,  .  , 

• 

25.00 

Third  Ward,  . . 

• 

0  to  20 

Seventh  “  . . 

• 

6  to  20 

Eighth  “ . .  . 

10  to  30 

Second  and  parts  of  First  and  Ninth  Wards, 

• 

Below 

Genesee  River  Rapids,  .... 

.  2 

0.00 

Allen’s  Creek,  Scottsville, 

12 

22.50 

Conesus  Outlet,  Avra,  .... 

.  21 

40.00 

Honeoye  Falls,  ..... 

16 

145.00 

“  Outlet,  Smithtown, 

.  17 

194.00 

“  Lake,  . 

28 

259.00 

Hemlock  Lake,  ...  ... 

.  26 

354.00 

Wadsworth  Hill,  .  .  .  . 

2 

50.00 

Ridge  west  of  Mount  Hope,  .... 

.  2 

60.00 

“  east  of  “  “  ... 

2 

100.00 

Hill  in  east  part  of  Henrietta, 

.  6 

125.00 

17 


The  system  of  supply  from  the  sources  above  named, 
have  been  arranged  as  follows : 


No.  1. — DIRECT  LINE  FROM  LAKE  ONTARIO. 

This  plan  contemplates  taking  the  water  from  Lake  On¬ 
tario,  west  of  the  piers  of  the  Genesee  River,  where  a  steam 
engine  will  be  located,  forcing  the  water  to  a  second  en¬ 
gine,  situated  midway  to  the  Distributing  Reservoir,  the 
entire  lift  being  360  feet,  and  the  distance  8  miles. 

The  aggregate  cost  of  this  supply  for  the  present,  for 
machinery,  distribution,  &c.,  will  be — 


Using  Ball’s  pipe,  . $584,560  00 

“  Cast-iron  pipe, .  661,960  00 

Capital  equivalent  to  annual  expense,  .  .  155,133  00 


Aggregate  cost  for  2,000,000  gallons’  supply  : 

Using  Ball’s  Pipe,  . $657,260  00 

Using  Iron  pipe, .  768,160  00 

Capital  equivalent  to  annual  expenses,  .  .  311,770  00 


No.  2. - CARTHAGE  FALLS. 

This  plan  contemplates  taking  the  water  from  Lake  Ontario, 

and  leading  it  by  a  supply  main  to  a  well  at  Carthage  Falls, 

whence  it  will  be  forced  by  a  water-pressure  engine  to  a  tower 

from  which  a  main  will  be  laid  to  the  distributing  reservoir ; 

the  length  of  the  supply  main  being  6J  miles,  and  that  to  the 

reservoir  from  the  tower  4  miles. 

9 

md 


18 


Aggregate  cost  for  present  supply : — 

Machinery,  Distribution,  tfcc.  ....  $582,780  OO 

Using  iron  pipe,  .  .  .  .  .  659,680  00 

Capital  equivalent  to  annual  expense,  .  .  .  73,000  00 

V  '  . 

Aggregate  cost  for  2,000,000  gallons  supply  : — 


Machinery,  Distribution,  &c.  ....  $650,480  00 

Using  iron  pipe,  ......  761,380  00 

Capital  equivalent  to  annual  expense,  .  .  .  73,000  00 


No.  3.- — GENESEE  RIVER. 

This  plan  contemplates  taking  the  water  of  the  Genesee 
River  at  Wolcott’s  Dam,  and  forcing  it  by  steam  or  water 
power  to  the  distributing  reservoir,  distant  one  mile,  the  lift 
being  100  feet,  and  the  available  fall  6-3-  feet. 


Aggregate  cost  for  present  supply: — 


Machinery,  <fec.,  steam  power,  •  . 
Machinery,  <fcc.,  water  power, 
Using  iron  pipe,  steam  power,  . 

“  “  “  water  power, 

Capital,  steam  power, 

“  water  “ 

Aggregate  cost  for  2,000,000 

Machinery,  tfcc.,  steam  power, 

“  water  power, 

Using  iron  pipe,  steam  “ 

“  “  water  “ 

Capital,  steam  “ 

“  water  “ 


$243,980  00 
263,780  00 
320,880  00 
340,680  00 
85,166  00 
66,916  00 

gallons  supply : — 

.  .  .  $314,680  00 

335,480  00 

.  .  425,580  00 

,446,380  00 

.  .  .  161,208  00 

91,250  00 


19 


No.  4. — HONEOYE  outlet;  west  rush. 

This  plan  contemplates  taking  the  water  of  the  Honeoye 
Outlet,  from  the  Mill  Pond  at  West  Push,  and  conducting 
it  by  an  open  canal  along  the  banks  of  the  outlet  and  the 
Genesee  Piver  to  Wolcott’s  Dam,  a  distance  of  thirteen  and 
one-half  miles,  whence  it  will  be  elevated  by  steam  or  water 
power  to  the  distributing  reservoir,  as  per  plan  No.  3. 


Aggregate  cost  for  present  supply : — 

Canal,  Machinery,  <fcc.,  Steam  Power, 

$373,980  00 

ii  ii 

Water  “  .... 

393,780  00 

Using  Iron  Pipe, 

Steam  “  ... 

450,880  00 

a  a 

Water  “  .... 

470,680  00 

Capital, 

Steam  “  ... 

85,166  00 

a 

Water  “  .... 

• 

66,916  00 

Aggregate  cost  for  2 

,000,000  gallons  supply 

Canal,  Machinery,  <tc., 

Steam  Power, 

$444,680  00 

a  u 

Water  “  .... 

464,400  00 

Using  Iron  Pipe, 

Steam  “  ... 

555,580  00 

a  a 

Water  “  .... 

575,380  00 

Capital, 

Steam  “  ... 

161,208  00 

ii 

Water  “  .... 

91,250  00 

No.  5. — honeoye  outlet,  south  of  honeoye  falls. 

By  this  plan,  the  water  of  this  Outlet  is  taken  at  Smith- 
town,  a  point  much  nearer  its  sources  and  of  much  greater 
elevation  than  any  other  plan,  being  200  ft.  above  the  Erie 
Canal  at  Pochester.  The  water  is  much  purer  in  quality 
than  at  any  lower  point,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  analyses 
made. 


20 


It  is  proposed  to  construct  an  Open  Canal  for  a  distance 
of  8  miles,  the  intervening  distance  of  miles,  to  the 
Receiving  and  Distributing  Reservoirs,  being  of  pipe.  Pro¬ 
vision  is  also  made  for  a  Receiving  or  Storing  Reservoir, 
not  common  to  any  other  plan,  in  which  the  surplus  waters 
of  the  Outlet  may  be  collected,  so  as  to  be  available  in  the 
dry  seasons,  without  injuring  the  supply  of  the  mills  on 
the  Outlet.  This  Reservoir  can  be  conveniently  built  in  the 
town  of  Henrietta,  four  miles  from  the  Distributing  Reservoir, 
and  will  have  a  capacity  equivalent  to  a  supply  of  four 
months. 

Aggregate  cost  for  present  supply  of  1,000,000  gallons : — 

Canal,  Pipes,  Reservoirs,  Distribution,  <fcc.,  .  .  $415,945  00 

Using  Iron  Pipe, .  492,845  00 


Aggregate  cost  for  2,000,000  gallons  supply  : — 

Canal,  Pipes,  Reservoirs,  <fcc., . $483,645  00 

Using  Iron  Pipe, .  594,595  00 

This  Plan  of  supply  we  recommend  to  your  adoption 
without  hesitation. 

In  addition  to  the  superior  quality  of  the  water,  it  is 
available  without  the  intervention  of  forcing  machinery  and 
its  annual  expense,  while  its  supply  may  be  increased,  without 
material  cost,  far  beyond  the  maximum  of  the  present  esti¬ 
mates. 

By  an  additional  cost  of  $36,000  for  Ball  &  Co.’s  pipe, 
or  of  $51,000  for  cast-iron  pipe,  to  the  several  estimates  for 
the  present  supply,  11  additional  miles  of  distribution  may  be 
laid,  making  25  miles  in  all. 


21 


PUMPING  MACHINERY. 

The  calculations  for  the  machinery  proposed  for  the  several 
systems  of  supply  where  the  use  of  machinery  is  required, 
have  been  based  on  a  capacity  for  supplying  at  least  2,000,000 
gallons  per  clay ;  the  formula  for  friction  being  that  of  Hawks- 
ley's  : 

wbere 

q=quantity  in  gallons  per  second, 
l=lengtli  of  main  in  inches, 
d=diameter  “  “ 

The  results  thus  obtained  are  somewhat  in  excess,  and 
liberal  additions  have  been  made  to  the  forcing  power,  to 
provide  against  contingencies.  There  are  several  advantages 
to  be  derived  from  the  increased  size  of  the  engines,  beyond 
the  actual  present  requirements  ;  as  the  steam,  in  the  case  of 
the  Cornish  engines,  may  be  expanded  to  a  greater  degree, 
and  the  ratio  of  expansion  altered  as  a  greater  average  pres¬ 
sure  is  required  to  do  the  work.  The  remarkable  success  of 
the  Cornish  engines  is  doubtless  owing  to  their  use  of  the 
principle  of  expansion  to  so  large  an  extent.  The  difference 
in  cost  between  a  large  and  small  cylinder  is  comparatively 
trifling  ;  and  by  providing,  at  the  outset,  a  cylinder  large 
enough  for  reasonable  prospective  use,  it  is  much  more  conve¬ 
nient  and  cheap  to  make  the  necessary  additions  of  boiler 
power  as  circumstances  may  require ;  and  it  is  also  fully 
established  by  theory  and  practice  that  large  condensers  (in 
condensing  engines)  are  the  most  effective.  With  this  view, 
we  have  preferred  to  recommend  the  adoption  of  engines  with 
large  cylinders  and  appurtenances,  by  the  use  of  which  eco¬ 
nomy  may  be  consulted  at  present,  with  great  capacity  when 


22 


the  increase  of  population  requires  successive  increase  of 
power. 

For  the  system  of  supply  from  Lake  Ontario,  where  the 
head  of  the  Carthage  Falls  can  be  made  available,  we  propose 
to  use  an  engine  which,  although  novel  in  this  country,  has 
proved  of  great  service  in  the  mining  districts  of  Europe,  hav¬ 
ing  been  more  or  less  used  since  1731. 

By  introducing  the  supply  from  a  convenient  head  of  water 
into  a  cylinder  properly  arranged,  one  or  more  pumps  may  be 
worked  by  a  reciprocating,  rectilinear  motion.  The  arrange¬ 
ment  of  the  several  parts  may  be  changed  at  will.  We  pro¬ 
pose,  however,  in  this  case,  to  use  a  direct-acting  machine, 
with  a  cylinder  and  pump  horizontal,  having  a  common-center 
line  of  motion,  somewhat  similar  to  Belidor’s  engine.  It  will 
be  necessary  to  provide  for  an  independent  valve  motion  by 
an  auxiliary  engine  under  the  same  head ;  but  the  arrange¬ 
ment  of  the  several  parts  is  quite  simple,  and  the  work  will 
be  performed  with  very  little  attention,  and  with  econom¬ 
ical  results. 

PUMPING  MACHINERY  FOR  DIRECT  LINE  FROM  LAKE  ONTARIO 

TO  DISTRIBUTING  RESERVOIR. 

On  this  line,  two  Cornish  engines  will  be  required,  one 
stationed  at  the  lake,  and  the  other  midway  to  the  reser¬ 
voir,  at  a  distance  of four  miles. 

r  • 

Duty,  c£c. 

Lift  of  each  engine, . 180  ft. 

Number  of  gallons  per  day, .  2,000,000 

“  “  feet-lbs.  per  minute,  ...  .  2,000,000 

Friction  of  machinery, .  400,000 

“  “  main, .  930,600 


Total  duty  of  engine, 


.  3,330,600  ft-lbs. 


23 


Horse-power  of  engine,  about  . 

Stroke  of  piston  and  plunger . 

Number  of  strokes  (single)  per  minute, 

Diameter  of  cylinder, . 

“  “  plunger, . 

“  “  pump, . 

Equivalent  lift, . . 

“  quantity  (per  minute) 

Boiler  pressure  (per  square  inch) 

Cut-off,  “Sickles’ Adjustable,” 

Consumption  of  coal,  at  present,  per  day, 

“  “  (raising  2,000,000  gals.)  per  day, 


100 

,  12  ft. 

14 

.  50  inches. 

18  “ 

.  24  “ 

300  ft. 

.  237  cub.  ft. 
20  lbs. 

.  2.50  tons. 
5.25  “ 


WATER-PRESSURE  ENGINE. — CARTHAGE  FALLS. 

Direct-acting,  the  cylinder  and  pump  having  a  common- 
center  line  of  motion. 


Duty ,  <&c. 


Number  of  gallons  per  day,  ....  2,000,000 

Lift,  380  ft. 

Force  Tube,  30  in.  diameter,  length  .  .  .  450  “ 

Number  of  “  feet-lbs.”  per  minute,  .  .  .  .4,222,180 

Friction  of  machinery,  422,218 

“  Force  tube,  198,000 


Total  duty, 

Horse- power,  about  .... 

Stroke  of  cylinder  and  pump, 

Number  of  double  strokes  per  minute, 

Diameter  of  cylinder, . 

“  pump,  .  .  .  •  . 

Available  pressure  in  cylinder,  per  square  inch, 


4,842,398  ft-lbs. 
147 
10  ft. 

12 

44  inches. 
22  “ 

43.64  lbs. 


24 


Pumping  machinery  at  u  Wolcott’s  ”  Dam.  At  this  point 
the  power  of  the  water-fall,  or  a  Cornish  engine,  may  be 
used  for  forcing  the  water  from  the  Genesee  Piver  to  the 
distributing  reservoir,  distant  one  mile,  the  lift  being  100 
feet. 


STEAM  ENGINE. 


Duty,  6fc. 

Number  of  gallons  per  day,  .  .  .  .  2,000,000 

“  “  ft-lbs.  per  minute,  .  .  .  .  1,111,110 

Friction  of  machinery, .  333,333 

“  “  Main  (30  inches  diameter),  .  .  233,640 

Total  duty  of  engine,  .  .  .  1,688,083  ft-lbs. 

Horse  power  of  engine,  about . 52 

Stroke  of  piston  and  plunger,  . 6  ft. 

Number  of  strokes  (single)  per  minute,  ...  14 

Diameter  of  cylinder, . 48  inches. 

“  “  plunger,  24  “ 

“  “  pump,  30  “ 

Equivalent  lift,  . . 152  ft. 

“  quantity  per  minute,  .  .  .  .  .  237  cub.  ft. 

Boiler  pressure  per  square  inch,  ....  20  lbs. 

Cut-off,  “Sickles’  adjustable,” 

Consumption  of  coal,  at  present,  per  day,  .  .  .Id  tons. 

“  “  (raising  2,000,000  gals,  per  day),  .  2|  “ 


Note.  The  expression  “feet-lbs.”  used  above,  is  taken  from  Weisbach,  and 
signifies  the  number  of  pounds  raised  one  foot  per  minute. 

f 


25 


WATER  WHEEL. 


For  the  present  supply  at  “Wolcott’s”  Dam,  the  avail¬ 
able  fall  being  6J  feet,  there  will  be  required, 


One  breast-wheel,  diameter, 

length, 

One  double-acting  pump,  stroke, 
Number  of  strokes  per  minute, 
Diameter  of  pump, 


16  feet. 

15  “ 

6  “ 

10 

22  inches. 


For  a  supply  of  2,000,000  gallons  per  day,  two  wheels 
and  pumps  of  the  above  size,  will  be  required. 


Following  are  estimates  of  cost  for  the  several  systems 
of  supply : 


ESTIMATES. 


PLAN  ONE. 

Direct  Line . — Steam  Power . 


1,000,000  galls,  supply. 

2,000,000  galls,  supply. 

Engine  Houses,  Ac.,  complete, 

$35,000  00 

$35,000  00 

Machinery  and  appurtenances, 

.  392,560  00 

397,560  00 

Eight  of  way,  Ac., 

5,000  00 

5,000  00 

Distributing  Reservoir,  . 

.  29,900  00 

29,900  00 

Distribution  (cement  pipe), 

107,100  00 

172,800  00 

Engineering,  Ac., 

.  15,000  00 

17,000  00 

$584,560  00 

$657,260  00 

Additional  cost  of  cast-iron  pipe, 

.  76,900  00 

110,900  00 

$661,460  00 

$768,160  00 

26 


Daily  Expenses  of  Steam  Power. 

tons  coal  per  day,  a  $5, . $12  50 

2  Engineers,  a  $2, . 4  00 

4  Firemen,  a  $1  50, .  6  00 


Oil,  Repairs,  <fcc .  .  3  00 


$25  50 

Capital,  at  6  per  cent.,  equal  to . $155,133  00 

For  supply  of  2,000,000  galls. 

tons  coal  per  day,  a  $5,  .  .  .  .  .  $26  25 

4  Engineers,  a  $2,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  8  00 

8  Firemen,  a  $1  50,  .  »  .  .  .  .  12  00 

Oil,  Repairs,  &c., . 5  00 


$51  25 

Capital,  at  6  per  cent.,  equal  to . $311,770  00 


PLAN  TWO. 

Carthage  Falls. — 

Water-Pressure  Engine. 

1,000,000  galls,  supply. 

2,000,000  galls,  supply. 

•Supply  main  from  Lake,  <&c., 

.  $152,000  00 

$152,000  00 

Engine  House,  &c.,  complete, 

15,000  00 

15,000  00 

Machinery  and  appurtenances, 

.  251,280  00 

251,280  00 

WaterPower,  . 

.  10,000  00 

10,000  00 

Right  of  Way, 

2,500  00 

2,500  00 

Distributing  Reservoir,  . 

.  29,900  00 

29,900  00 

Distribution, 

.  107,100  00 

172,800  00 

Engineering,  <kc., 

.  15,000  00 

17,000  00 

$582,780  00 

$650,480  00 

Additional  cost  of  cast-iron  pipe,  76,900  00 

110,900  00 

$659,680  00 

$761,380  00 

27 


Daily  Expenses  of  Water-Pressure  Engine. 

% 

Oil,  Repairs,  Ac.,  per  day, . $3  00 

4  Attendants, . 7  00 

Incidental  Expenses, . 2  00 


$12  00 

Capital,  at  6  per  cent.,  equal  to . $73,000  00 


PLAN  THREE. 

Wolcott1  s  Dam  by  steam  power,  including  distribution . 

1,000,000  galls,  supply.  2,000,000  galls,  supply. 


Engine  House,  Ac.  complete, . 

$12,000  00 

$12,000 

00 

Machinery  and  appurtenances, 

68,980  00 

71,980 

00 

Right  of  way,  Ac.  .  .  . 

1,000  00 

1,000 

00 

Distributing  Reservoirs,  Ac. 

39,900  00 

39,900 

00 

Distribution  (Cement  pipe),  . 

107,100  00 

172,800 

00 

Engineering,  Ac.  . 

15,000  00 

o 

o 

o 

r— 1 

00 

$243,980  00 

314,680 

00 

Additional  Cost  of  Cast-Iron  Pipes, 

76,900  00 

110,900 

00 

. 

$320„880  00 

$425,580 

00 

Daily  expenses  at  Wolcott'1 s  Dam. — Steam  Power. 

1,000,000  galls,  supply. 


1£  Tons  coal  per  day,  a  $5, 

$6  75 

1  Engineman,  a  $2,  . 

2  00 

2  Fireman,  a  $1  50,  . 

3  00 

Oil,  Repairs,  Ac., 

2  25 

$14  00 

Capita],  at  6  per  cent.,  equal  to 

•  • 

$85,166  00 


28 


2,000,000  galls,  supply. 

2|  Tons  coal  per  day,  a  $5, 

$13  75 

2  Enginemen,  a  $2, 

$4  00 

4  Firemen,  a  $1  50, 

6  00 

Oil,  Repairs,  &c. 

2  15 

$26  50 

Capital  at  6  per  cent,  equal  to  .  .  $161,208  00 

Wolcott? 8  Dam. —  Water  Power . 

1,000,000  galls,  supply.  2,000,000  galls,  supply. 


Pump  house,  drc.,  complete, 

$16,000  00 

$16,000  00 

Race,  Dam,  &c. 

10,800  00 

10,800  00 

Machinery  and  appurtenances,  . 

63,980  00 

67,980  00 

Right  of  way,  &c. 

1,000  00 

1,000  00 

Water  power, 

10,000  00 

10,000  00 

Distributing  reservoir, 

39,900  00 

39,900  00 

Distributions  (cement  pipe),  . 

107,100  00 

172,800  00 

Engineering,  &c. 

15,000  00 

17,000  00 

$263,780  00 

335,480  00 

Additional  cost  of  cast-iron  pipe, 

76,900  00 

110,900  00 

$340,680  00 

446,380  00 

Daily  Expenses  at  Wolcott's  Dam. — Breast  Wheel. 

Supply ,  1,000,000  gallons. 

Oil,  Repairs,  <fec.,  per  day,  .  .  .  $3,00 

Four  Attendants,  .  .  .  6,00 

Incidental  Expenses,  .  .  .  2,00 


$11,00 

Capital  at  6  per  cent.,  .  .  $66,916  00 


29 


For  supply  of  2,000,000. 

Oil,  Repairs,  Ac.,  per  day, 

$5,00 

Four  Attendants, 

.  .  6,00 

Incidental  Expenses, 

4,00 

$15,00 

Capital  at  6  per  cent,  equal  to  .  .  $91,250,00 

PLAN  FOUR. 

Steam  Power. 


1,000,000  galls,  supply.  2,000,000  galls,  supply. 

13-£  miles  open  canal, 

$1  20,000 

$120,000 

Pumping  Engine,  House,  Ac.  Ac., 

81,980 

84,980 

Distributing  Reservoirs, 

39,900 

39,900 

Distribution,  .... 

107,100 

172.800 

Engineering  and  Contingencies, 

25,000 

27,000 

$373,980 

$444,680 

Additional  cost,  iron  pipe, 

• 

76,900 

110,900 

$450,880 

$555,580 

Additional  cost  of  water  power, 

19,800 

19,800 

$470,680 

$565,380 

The  daily  expenditure  of 

raising  the  water 

on  this  plan, 

will  be  the  same  as  Plan  Three. 

PLAN 

FIVE. 

1,000,000  gals,  supply. 

2,000,000  gals,  supply. 

8  miles  open  canal, 

$  80,300 

$  80,300 

7£  “  pipe  (20  in.  and  16  in.), 

109,850 

109,850 

Receiving  Reservoir, 

53,795 

53,795 

Distributing  “  .  .  . 

39,900 

39,900 

Distribution, 

107,100 

172,800 

Engineering  and  contingencies, 

• 

25,000  . 

27,000 

$415,945 

$483,645 

Additional  cost  for  iron  pipe, 

76,900 

110,900 

$492,845 


$594,595 


30 


WATER  PIPES. 

It  will  have  been  noticed  in  the  foregoing  estimates  of 
cost,  that  a  very  large  saving  is  proposed  by  the  introduction 
of  “Ball’s  Patent  Indestructible  Water  Pipe,”  as  a  substi¬ 
tute  for  cast-iron  pipe,  being  incomparably  more  durable 
(as  there  is  no  rust  or  decay,  but  continually  growing  more 
permanent),  and  far  superior  for  cleanliness  and  purity. 


The  undersigned,  having  devoted  much  attention  to  the  in¬ 
vestigation  of  the  merits  of  this  pipe,  and  having  visited 
works  at  Jersey  City,  Brooklyn,  and  Saratoga  Springs,  where 
it  has  been  in  service,  under  from  eighty  to  two-hundred  feet 
pressure  for  several  years,  and  having  at  this  time  charge  of 
water-works  where  it  is  now  being  laid,  have  no  hesitation  in 
recommending  its  use  for  your  city  works,  and  fully  concur 
in  the  following  testimonials  from  the  intelligent  gentlemen 
named  below. 

\ 

The  Water  Commissioners  of  the  city  of  Boston,  in  their 
report  to  the  Council  in  1848,  state,  that  “pipes  formed  of 
sheet-iron,  coated  internally  with  hydraulic  cement ,  have  been 
recently  introduced  ;  and  they  promise  to  be  highly  useful 
under  certain  circumstances.  When  laid  in  the  earth,  and  in 
situations  exposing  them  externally  to  moisture,  they  are  pro¬ 
tected  by  a  covering  of  hydraulic  cement,  which,  besides 
preserving  the  iron  against  rust ,  gives  an  additional  strength 
to  the  pipe.” 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  requested  information 
in  regard  to  this  excellent  article,  we*  insert  the  following 
testimonials  in  relation  to  its  merits : 


31 


New  York ,  July  10 th,  1853. 

Messrs.  Ball  and  Stevens. 

Dear  Sirs  : — Agreeably  to  your  request,  I  take  pleasure  in  making  such 
statements,  in  relation  to  your  Hydraulic  Cement  Pipe,  as  now  occur  to  me. 

The  fact  that  pipes  were  made  of  riveted  wrought  iron,  coated  inside  and 
outside  with  cement,  had  been  known  to  me  for  some  3Tears,  but  up  to  last  May 
my  attention  was  not  directed  particularly  to  them.  At  that  time,  I  undertook 
to  investigate  the  subject  with  reference  to  the  adoption  of  a  suitable  material 
for  the  water  pipes  of  a  large  work  in  which  I  was  interested.  I  confess  I  was 
somewhat  prejudiced  against  your  method,  from  its  seeming  frailty  as  con¬ 
trasted  with  cast  iron ;  and  for  that  reason,  the  tests  applied  were  more  severe 
than  they  otherwise  would  have  been. 

On  31st  May,  I  witnessed  at  the  Corporation  Yard  in  this  city,  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  several  engineers,  a  series  of  experiments  on^  your  pipe,  as  follows,  the 
data  of  which  I  extract  from  notes  made  at  the  time : — “  Hydraulic  Cement 
pipe,  made  of  No.  20  Iron,  11  inches  diameter,  Y  feet  long,  riveted  at  intervals 
of  If  inches,  with  rivets  weighing  three  pounds  per  thousand,  lined  half  an 
inch  thick  with  Rosendale  cement,  was  subjected  by  hydraulic  pressure  to  four- 
hundred  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  and  remained  under  this  strain  for  several 
minutes  without  exhibiting  any  signs  of  weakness.  The  weight  on  the  valve 
•was  then  so  placed  as  to  bring  the  pressure  to  six-hundred  pounds  per  square 
inch,  but  just  as  the  valve  rose  to  blow  off,  the  pipe  burst,  tearing  away  the 
rivet  holes:”  this  piece  would  probably  have  borne  a  static  pressure  of  five-hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  pounds  per  square  inch,  without  injury.  Another  piece  of  simi¬ 
lar  dimensions,  of  lighter  iron  (No.  23.),  but  riveted  at  intervals  of  1  inch 
instead  of  If  inches,  was  then  put  in  the  press,  and  successively  subjected  to 
480,  500,  600,  Y00,  and  800  pounds  per  square  inch,  without  sensibly  affecting 
it:  the  latter  pressure  was  the  limit  of  the  capacity  of  the  press;  it  was  not, 
therefore,  known  what  the  piece  would  have  burst  with. 

The  amount  of  pressure  which  a  wrought-iron  riveted  pipe  would  sustain, 
when  made  of  known  stock  could  be  calculated  upon  data  already  well  authen¬ 
ticated  ;  but  the  durability  of  the  pipe  when  in  use,  could  only  be  determined 
approximately  by  analogy  or  experiment.  In  the  latter  part  of  May  last,  I 
saw  at  Saratoga  Springs  the  main  conduit  uncovered,  which  has  been  in  use 
nearly  seven  years :  this  is  made  of  your  cement  pipe.  I  broke  from  the  out¬ 
side,  a  portion  of  the  cement  covering,  and  found  the  iron  uncorroded  and  in 
appearance  similar  to  a  new  stove-pipe:  this  pipe  is  6  inches  in  diameter.  A 


32 


specimen  from  the  New  Jersey  Marshes  which  had  been  in  use  for  nearly  the 
same  length  of  time,  exhibited  the  same  favorable  appearance  inside  as  well  as 
outside. 

The  difference  in  the  expansion  and  contraction  of  the  iron  and  cement,  con¬ 
sequent  upon  changes  of  temperature,  is  more  or  less  likely  to  disconnect  them, 
if  in  contact ;  but  at  the  depths  which  it  is  necessary  to  put  pipes  in  the  ground, 
to  guard  them  from  frost,  any  atmospheric  changes  would  scarcely  operate — 
which,  in  practice  is  found  to  be  the  case. 

By  your  method  of  working  the  cement  immediately  after  it  is  mixed,  you 
avoid  altogether  the  risk  of  contraction  in  hardening.  The  experiments  which 
were  made  for  me  at  your  factory,  determined  this  question  conclusively. 

As  your  pipe  compared  with  cast  iron  is  so  much  cheaper,  and  the  water 
which  passes  through  it  is  less  affected  than  that  which  passes  through  iron,  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  it,  where  properly  made  and  carefully  laid, 
for  all  purposes  where  main^  and  street-service  pipes  are  wanted. 

EDWARD  W.  SERREL, 

CIVIL  ENGINEER. 

The  following  is  from  the  Water  Commissioners  and  Trust¬ 
ees  of  the  village  of  Saratoga  Springs,  given  in  1849,  and 
where  the  same  pipe  is  at  this  time  in  use,  and  as  good  condi¬ 
tion  as  at  the  date  of  this  certificate. 

“In  answer  to  the  numerous  inquiries  in  relation  to  J.  Ball  &  Co.’s  Indb- 

structible  Water  Pipe,  composed  of  iron  and  cement,  and  in  use  in  our  village, 

the  undersigned,  water  commissioners,  trustees,  and  late  trustees  of  the  village  of 

Saratoga  Springs,  take  this  method  of  saying  that  we  have  perfect  confidence  in 

the  utility,  goodness,  and  durability  of  said  pipe.  The  village  of  Saratoga 

Springs  has  some  20,000  feet  of  this  pipe,  varying  from  6J  to  1^-  inches  in 
•  • 

diameter,  under  a  head  of  about  80  feet.  It  has  been  laid  since  the  fall  of  1846. 
Since  it  was  fully  completed,  it  has  cost  comparatively  nothing  to  keep  it  in 
r«pair ;  and  although  some  portions  are  exposed  to  the  frost,  it  seems  to  stand 
well  the  test,  and  answer  all  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  designed  and  con¬ 
structed.  We  believe  it  preferable  to  iron  pipe — is  much  cheaper  and  more 
durable;  and  we  would  not  exchange  it  for  any  other  kind  of  pipe  yet  in¬ 
vented,  jf  we  could  without  any  additional  expense  or  inconvenience.  The 
water  comes  through  clear  and  pure;  and  where  we  have  had  any  occasion 
to  take  any  part  of  it  up  to  improve  or  alter  the  grounds,  it  appeared  to  be 


33 


just  as  sound  and  .imperishable  as  the  moment  it  was  laid  down.  This  testi¬ 
mony  is  entirely  disinterested,  and  is  now  given  to  avoid  the  necessity  of 
answering  the  many  calls  upon  us  for  information  on  this  subject.  We  have 
witnessed,  and  many  of  us  have  superintended,  the  laying  down  of  the  pipe 
in  this  village,  and  watched  its  operations  since,  and  are  perfectly  satisfied 
that  we  have  the  best  water-pipe  ever  presented  to  the  public. 

Saratoga  Springs,  Dec.,  1849. 

G.  M.  Davidson,  ) 

R.  Putnam,  >-  Water  Com. 

N.  B.  Doe,  ) 


R.  Gardner,  ") 

H  P  Hyde,  Uru9tees 
J.  L.  Perry, 

J.  D.  Briggs,  J 


S.  Chapman, 

WAS.AIgT;,  [Late  Trustees. 

William  Cook,  J 

“I  certify  that  I  was  Chief  Engineer,  having  the  construction  of  the  above 
work  in  charge,  and  fully  concur  in  the  foregoing  statement. 

“  S.  R.  OSTRANDER,  Civil  Engineer.” 

Dec,  1849. 


ROCKVILLE  WATER  WORKS. 

For  the  information  of  those  interested  in  Water  Works,  we  make  the  fol¬ 
lowing  statement: 

In  the  fall  of  1847,  J.  Ball  <fc  Co.,  of  New  York,  laid  of  their  Indestructible 
Patent  Cement  Pipes  several  miles  in  this  village — ranging  from  eight  tc 
three  inches  calibre.  The  grounds  are  broken,  through  which  the  pipes 
are  laid:  the  head  of  water  ranges  from  light  to  140  feet,  giving  great  effi¬ 
ciency  to  our  hydrants  and  works  throughout  the  village.  The  pipes  are  per- 
•  > 
fectly  tight ;  and  we  unhesitatingly  say  that  we  prefer  them  to  cast  iron,  and 

are  confident  that  they  will  be  far  more  durable ;  and,  from  close  examination 
where  they  have  been  opened  for  tapping  and  branching,  we  believe  them  to 
be  truly  “indestructible,”  besides  being  clean  and  pure. 

Agents. — Geo.  Kellogg,  Rockville  Manufacturing  Company ;  Allen  Ham¬ 
mond,  New  England  Company. 


3 


J.  N.  STICKNEY. 


34 


Office  of  the  Greenwood  Cemetery ,  April  29,  1852. 

Messrs.  J.  Ball  &  Co.,  laid  in  the  grounds  of  this  institution,  two  years 
since,  about  800  feet  of  8  inch  cement  pipe,  conveying  water,  forced  by  a 
steam  pump,  to  an  elevation  of  110  feet.  It  has  proved  perfectly  satisfactory  t 
and  is  in  my  opinion  preferable,  for  several  reasons,  to  the  best  of  iron  pipes. 
Having  both  kinds  in  use,  I  do  not  hesitate  from  the  experience  thus  far  had, 
to  express  this  opinion. 

J.  A.  PERRY,  Comptroller. 


In  addition  to  the  above  testimonials,  we  can  state  that,  having  had  ex¬ 
perience  and  personal  knowledge  in  regard  to  the  excellent  qualities  and 
durability  of  the  above  pipe,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  it  to 
the  public. 

Starr  &  Alberts,  122  Nassau  street. 

Frederick  Marquand,  per  H.  G.  M.,  Att’y, 

Janes,  Beebe  &  Co. 

\ 

•  H.  W.  Metcalf,  63  and  65  Centre  street. 

Norman  White,  111  Fulton  street. 

John  J.  Merritt,  76  Columbia  street,  Brooklyn. 

Platt  &  Brother,  20  Maiden  Lane. 

Geo.  Griswold,  South  street. 

J.  &  J.  W.  Meeks,  14,  16  and  18  Yesey  street. 

Wm.  Gale,  116  Fulton  street. 

J.  C.  Brown,  Builder,  10  Dutch  street. 

Wm.  Colgate  &  Co. 

Thos.  C.  Smith. 

O.  R.  Burnham,  17  and  19  Broadway. 

G.  B.  Hartson,  58  and  60  Vesey  street. 

Wm.  W.  Campbell,  77  St.  Mark’s  Place. 

Lorin  Brooks,  240  Broadway. 

i 

Messrs.  J.  Ball  &  Co. 

Gents. — Articles  have  appeared  in  the  Farmer  and  Mechanic,  from  Sara¬ 
toga  and  Cohoes,  on  the  subject  of  your  Water  Pipes;  I  fully  endorse  their 
■opinions.  Your  work  for  my  son’s  Water  Cure,  at  South  Orange,  embracing 
a  large  amount  of  four  and  three-inch  pipe,  under  a  head  of  at  least  as  great 
as  the  Croton  of  New  York,  shows  not  only  certainty  and  efficiency,  but  what 


35 


is  equally  important,  perfect  purity,  which  for  medical  purposes  is  all-important, 
and  should  be  considered  so  for  drinking  and  other  uses. 

Yours,  SAM’L  MEEKER. 

Newark ,  Jan.  11,  1850. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  we  certify  that  J.  Ball  &  Co.  have  inserted  pipes 
for  us,  of  10  inch  bore  and  less,  since  the  winter  of  1844,  and  that  last  spriDg 
we  had  over  1,000  lbs.  of  lead  pipe  removed,  and  its  place  supplied  with  their 
pipe.  We  fully  endorse  the  opinions  expressed  in  the  notices  above. 

BEACH,  BROTHERS, 

1850.  New  York  Sun  Establishment. 

Having,  for  the  past  three  years,  laid  many  of  Messrs.  J.  Ball  &  Co.’s  Patent  * 
Cement  Pipes,  for  the  Newark  Aqueduct  Co.,  I  prefer  them  to  any  pipe  that  I 
have  used,  their  cost  being  one-third  less  than  iron  pipe,  and  also  being  free 
from  wear  and  rust,  and  can  most  cordially  recommend  them  for  all  aqueduct 
purposes. 

SHELDON  SMITH,  Superintendent. 

Newark ,  Jan.  14,  1850. 

CERTIFICATE  OF  PROF.  HORSFORD,  HARVARD  UNIVERSITY. 

Cambridge,  Sept.  28,  1853. 

I  have  examined,  somewhat  in  detail,  the  pipe  manufactured  by  Ball  &  Co., 
for  conveying  and  distributing  water.  I  have  repeatedly  attended  upon  their 
manufacture,  and  the  inspection  preparatory  to  use.  I  have  farther  attended 
upon  the  laying  down  of  the  pipes,  and  observed  the  mode  of  imbedding  in 
and  costing  with  cement,  the  connection  of  sections  of  pipe,  the  piercing 
for  lateral  service  pipes,  and,  I  believe,  all  the  various  processes  by  which 
the  pipes  are  fitted  for  use.  I  have  witnessed  their  service  under  a  pressure 
of  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  I  have  examined  various  specimens  that  have 
been  in  use  for  a  period  of  seven  }Tears ;  and,  with  one  reservation,  which 
is  made  because  I  have  not  had  opportunity  to  examine  with  sufficient  care 
this  branch  of  the  subject,  I  am  prepared  to  say: 

That  with  strict  fidelity  on  the  part  of  the  workmen  and  engineer,  the 
above  kind  of  pipe  may  be  made  and  laid  down  so  as  satisfactorily  to  fulfill  the 
general  purposes  of  water  distribution. 

Where  the  pipes  are  liable  to  displacement  or  jarring,  or  sudden  shocks,  such 
as  are  produced  by  the  water-hammer  action — when  a  cock  is  suddenly  closed 
under  considerable  head — I  am  not  prepared  to  say  what  will  be  the  effect ;  but 


36 


I  hope,  at  an  early  day,  to  report  upon  the  result  of  an  examination  of  the 
practical  working  of  the  pipes  under  the  conditions  named. 

The  advantages  of  the  pipes  of  Ball  <&  Co.  are,  that,  after  a  few  days  of  use, 
the  water  is  transmitted  entirely  unchanged ;  the  pipes  do  not  corrode  and 
encrust  so  as  to  diminish  the  service  capacity ;  the  strength  increases  with  age  ; 
and  the  cheapness  will  make  it  possible  to  introduce  water  into  places  where 
the  cost  of  cast-iron  pipes  would  leave  it  impossible. 

Signed, 

E.  K  HORSFORD, 

.  Rumford  Professor,  Harvard  University. 

The  pipe  manufactured  by  Ball  &  Co.  is  recommended 
for  your  use,  not  only  on  account  of  its  economy ,  and  the 
increased  facilities  for  making  the  joints,  taps,  &c.,  but  on 
account  of  its  superiority  over  cast-iron  pipe,  in  causing 
much  less  friction  to  the  flow  of  water,  which  experi¬ 
ments  have  fully  shown  to  be  the  case,  and  its  freedom  from 
the  contingencies  to  which  iron  pipes  are  subject,  by  gradually 
filling  up  with  tubercles,  formed  principally  by  oxydation  of 
the  pipe  itself. 

The  importance  of  this  question  will  be  more  fully 
illustrated  by  the  following  extracts  from  various  reports 
and  statements  on  this  point.  E.  S.  Chesbrough,  Esq.,  the 
City  Engineer  of  Boston,  in  his  Report  to  the  Cochituate 
Water  Board,  in  1852,  remarks,  that — 

“  The  rapidity  with  which  the  interior  surfaces  of  some  of  the  pipes  have 
become  covered  with  tubercles  or  rust,  has  excited  a  great  deal  of  interest, 
and  has  been  the  subject  of  much  observation ;  but  the  cause  of  such  a  wide 
difference  in  the  growth  of  these  tubercles  in  different  pipes,  and  in  different 
places,  does  not  appear  to  be  clearly  understood.  All  the  large  pipes  that  have 
been  opened,  have  been  partially  or  entirely  covered  on  their  inner  surfaces, 
some  with  detached  tubercles,  varying  from  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  inches  base, 
with  a  depth  or  thickness  in  the  middle  of  from  one  quarter  to  three  quarters  of 


37 


an  inch ;  and  some  entirely,  to  aD  average  depth  of  half  an  inch,  with  a  rough 
coating,  as  if  the  bases  of  the  tubercles  had  crowded  together.  The  smaller 
pipes  all  exhibit  some  action  of  this  kind,  but  generally  to  a  less  extent,  as 
regards  thickness,  than  the  larger  ones.  In  one  case,  however,  a  four-inch 
pipe  was  found  covered  to  a  thickness  of  about  one  inch.  This  was  in  that 
part  of  Myrtle  street  which  was  formerly  called  Zone  street,  where  the  entrance 
to  a  service  pipe  was  entirely  stopped  by  rust.  Wrouglit-iron  pipes  fill  much 
more  rapidly  than  cast-iron  ones ;  and  in  several  instances,  service  pipes  made  of 
that  metal  have,  during  the  last  year,  become  so  obstructed  as  to  be  almost 
or  quite  useless. 

“The  Jamaica  Aqueduct  pipe,  which  was  originally  ten  inches  in  diameter, 
has  been,  in  some  cases,  reduced  to  eight  by  tubercles,  which,  however,  are 
different  in  form  from  those  in  the  Cochituate  pipes.  They  appear  to  lap 
over  each  other  in  the  direction  of  the  current ;  this  is  very  strikingly  the  case 
at  the  commencement  of  the  pipe,  as  if  their  form  was  owing  in  some  measure 
to  the  mechanical  action  of  the  current. 

“Knowing  that  this  subject  has  occupied  much  of  your  attention,  that  you 
have  consulted  articles  from  various  foreign  journals  that  treat  upon  it,  and  that 
Prof.  Horsford  has  it  under  consideration,  no  discussion  upon  the  cause  or  causes 
of  these  tubercles  will  be  attempted  here.” 


The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  last  annual 
report  of  the  “  Cochituate  Water  Board  to  the  City  Council 
of  Boston,”  to  show  the  growing  importance  of  this  subject : 

“Among  the  variety  of  topics  noticed  in  the  Report  of  the  Engineer 
which  are  well  deserving  the  consideration  of  the  City  Council,  there'  is 
one,  in  particular,  to  which  we  would  now  call  its  attention,  which  we 
consider  to  be  eminently  so.  We  allude  to  the  effects  which  are  found  to 
be  produced  on  the  inner  surface  of  all  the  iron  mains  and  pipes,  by  the 
action  of  the  water.  The  attention  of  the  Water  Board  was  attracted  to 
the  subject,  soon  after  its  appointment;  for  although  the  pipes  had  then  been 
in  use  less  than  three  years,  those  effects  are  already  quite  obvious  and 
striking,  and  in  fact  had  been  noticed  some  time  previous.  They  have  since 
then  been  carefully  watched,  and  the  valuable  assistance  of  Professor  Hors¬ 
ford  has  been  engaged,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  as  far  as  is  practica¬ 
ble,  their  origin,  their  probable  progress  for  the  future,  and  the  means  which 


38 


might  be  relied  upon,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing,  arresting,  or  retard¬ 
ing  them,  and  thus  obviating  the  consequences  which  were  likely  to  be 
the  result.  The  two  communications  of  Professor  Horsford  on  the  subject, 
which  we  beg  leave  to  annex  to  this  report,  have  described  with  so  much 
minuteness  and  clearness  the  present  appearance  and  state  of  the  interior  of 
the  mains  and  pipes,  as  does  also  the  report  of  the  City  Engineer,  that  it 
is  rendered  entirely  unnecessary  for  the  Board  to  repeat  the  description, 
and  they  would  therefore  refer  the  Council  to  those  communications.  It  is 
presumed,  also,  that  the  members  of  the  Council  are  generally  acquainted 
with  those  facts. 

“  The  effects  to  which  we  now  allude,  are  the  peculiar  changes  which 
have  been  produced  on  the  iron  itself ;  and  they  consist  in 

“1.  The  absorption  of  the  iron  in  certain  places,  and  the  formation  in 
its  stead  of  a  substance  resembling  plumbago. 

“  2.  The  gradual  development  of  local  accretions  or  tubercles,  in  the  in¬ 
terior  of  the  pipes,  by  which  the  flow  of  water  is  impeded,  and  their  capa¬ 
city  diminished,  so  that  the  object  for  which  they  were  laid  becomes  im¬ 
perfectly  accomplished,  and  an  apprehension  is  excited  that  they  may  be  so 
far  closed  up  as  to  be  useless  hereafter. 

“This  subject  has  received  but  little  scientific  investigation,  till  within  a 
few  years,  notwithstanding  its  very  obvious  importance,  and  although  the 
evils  must  have  existed  ever  since  cast  iron  has  been  used  for  such  purposes. 
It  is  one,  however,  of  no  little  importance  to  the  city,  as  there  is  involved 
in  it  the  question  of  the  present  and  future  capacity  of  all  the  iron  pipes 
which  have  been  or  are  to  be  laid,  at  no  small  expense,  and  of  their  conse¬ 
quent  adaptation  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  are  used,  and  also  of  their 
ultimate  durability.  The  Water  Board  have  therefore  thought  that  it  would 
be  interesting  and  useful  to  lay  before  the  council  somewhat  in  detail,  not 
only  the  present  condition  of  the  pipes  belonging  to  the  Water  Works  of 
this  city,  in  relation  to  the  subject,  but  also  the  result  of  such  inquiries 
as  they  have  been  able  to  make  into  the  extent  of  the  same  evils  in  other 
places,  and  the  efforts  which  have  been  made  to  ascertain  their  nature  and 
origin,  and  to  provide  a  remedy  for  them,  and  the  success  of  those  efforts. 

“The  first  notice  taken  of  this  subject  which  we  have  seen,  appears  in 
the  transactions  of  the  French  Academy  of  Sciences,  for  the  year  1836.  ( Comptes 
Rendus,  v.  3,  p.  131.)  It  is  a  note  by  Mr.  Vicat  on  the  subject  of  a  coating  to 
prevent  the  development  of  tuberculous  accretions  in  cast-iron  pipes  for  conduct¬ 
ing  water.  He  states  that  a  report  printed  at  Grenoble,  November  22,  1833, 


39 


by  order  of  the  Municipal  Council,  called  the  attention  of  the  public  to 
the  rapid,  as  well  as  unforeseen,  filling  up  of  the  large  cast-iron  main,  of 
the  Chateau  d'Eau ,  in  that  town.  The  formation  of  numerous  tubercles  of 
hydroxide  of  iron,  began  to  show  itself  shortly  after  the  water  was  let  on, 
by  a  perceptible  though  slight  diminution  of  the  discharge.  The  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  accretions,  however,  as  was  proved  by  many  accurate  measure¬ 
ments,  soon  increased  so  much,  that  the  supply  of  the  Chateau,  which  had 
been  in  1826  about  1,400  litres  (about  370  wine  gallons)  a  minute,  was  grad¬ 
ually  reduced  in  1833  to  720  litres  (about  190  wine  gallons),  showing  a  loss 
of  nearly  one  half.  A  good  deal  of  alarm  was  excited  by  it,  and  an  attempt 
was  immediately  made,  by  eminent  chemists,  to  ascertain  the  cause,  and  rec¬ 
oncile  the  phenomenon  with  various  theories.  A  commission,  consisting  of 
engineers  and  others,  was  also  appointed,  which  discussed,  at  Grenoble,  the 
means  of  destroying  this  kind  of  ferruginous  vegetation  (as  it  is  called  in 
the  report),  or  of  arresting  its  progress.  In  the  meantime  new  measurements 
indicated ,  that  in  less  than  Jive  years  the  pipes  would  probably  be  so  obstructed 
that  the  water  would  cease  to  Jlow  through  them.  Two  members  of  the  Com¬ 
mission,  Messrs.  Guemard  and  Yicat,  Engineers  in  chief,  being  persuaded 
that  the  tubercles  were  formed  at  the  expense  of  the  castings,  applied  them¬ 
selves  to  the  discovery  of  some  coating  which  would  be,  at  the  same  time, 
cheap,  indestructible,  and  capable  of  preventing  oxydation.  After  two  years 
of  experiments,  they  considered  it  sufficiently  proved,  that  hydraulic  cement 
is  of  all  compositions  combining  facility  of  application  and  cheapness,  that 
which  adheres  the  best  to  the  casting,  is  the  most  indestructible,  and  pre¬ 
vents  most  effectually  all  oxydation  and  consequent  formation  of  the  tu¬ 
bercles.” 

“In  1837  the  subject  attracted  the  attention  of  the  British  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science  ;  and  under  its  auspices  a  very  elaborate  investigation  of 
the  action  of  air  and  water,  whether  fresh  or  salt,  clear  or  foul,  and  at  various 
temperatures,  upon  cast  iron,  wrought  iron,  and  steel,  was  made  by  Mr.  Robert 
Mallet.  Mr.  Mallet  commenced  in  1838,  and  continued  until  the  year  1843,  a 
very  complete  course  of  experiments  on  the  subject.” 

“In  his  first  Report,  which  is  devoted  to  the  consideration  of  the  then 
existing  state  of  chemical  knowledge  of  the  subject  at  large,  he  remarks,  that 
notwithstanding  the  innumerable  uses  to  which  iron  had  been  applied,  for  the 
purpose  of  supplying  the  social  wants  of  man,  during  the  preceding  half- 
century,  yet  our  information  on  the  subject  of  its  durability,  and  the  causes 
likely  to  impair  or  promote  it,  was  scarcely  more  advanced  than  it  had  been 


40 


twenty  years  previously ;  and  that  while  the  chemist  was  not  precisely  informed 
as  the  changes  which  air  and  water  produce  on  it,  the  engineer  was  without 
data  to  determine  what  limits  the  corroding  action  sets  to  its  durability.  Nor 
was  it  known  with  certainty,  what  properties  should  be  chosen,  in  wrought  or 
cast  iron,  that  its  corrosion  might  be  the  least  possible  under  given  circum¬ 
stances.  Neither  was  our  actual  knowledge  more  advanced  as  to  the  variable 
effects  of  corrosive  action,  on  the  same  iron,  of  different  waters,  such  as  are 
commonly  met  with,  containing  their  usual  mineral  ingredients  in  solution.” 

“  The  investigation  was,  therefore,  undertaken  for  the  purpose  of  throwing 
light  on  these  topics  ;  and  there  was  of  course  involved  in  it  a  great  extent 
of  inquiry  into  the  durability  of  the  metal,  the  forces  which  were  likely  to 
impair  it,  the  mode  in  which  these  forces  would  act,  what  would  be  their 
results,  and  the  means  of  arresting  their  progress. 

“  The  Board  can  merely  state  some  of  the  general  laws,  regulating  the 
action  of  fresh  water  on  iron  pipes,  which  Mr.  Mallet  considers  as  previously 
known,  or  established  or  confirmed  by  his  experiments. 

“  He  found  that  any  sort  of  iron,  cast  or  wrought,  corrodes  when  exposed 
to  the  action  of  water  holding  air  in  combination,  in  one  or  other  or  some 
combination  of  the  following  forms,  viz. :  1.  Uniformly,  or  when  the  whole 

surface  of  the  iron  is  covered  uniformly  with  a  coat  of  rust,  requiring  to  be 
scraped  off,  and  leaving  a  smooth,  red  surface  after  it.  2.  Uniformly  with 
plumbago,  where  the  surface,  as  before  uniformly  corroded,  is  found  in  some 
places  covered  with  plumbagenous  matter,  leaving  a  piebald  surface  of  red 
and  black  after  it.  3.  Locally,  or  only  rusted  in  some  places,  and  free 
from  rust  in  others.  4.  Locally  pitted,  where  the  surface  is  left  as  in 
the  last  case,  but  the  metal  is  found  unequally  removed  to  a  greater  or 
less  depth.  5.  Tubercular,  when  the  whole  of  the  rust  which  has  taken 
place  at  every  point  of  the  specimen  has  been  transferred  to  one  or  more 
particular  points  of  its  surface,  and  has  there  formed  large  projecting 
tubercles  leaving  the  rest  bare.” 

“  Fresh  water  may  hold  so  much  combined  air  (not  to  speak  of  car* 
bonic  acid),  as  to  act  more  rapidly  than  sea  water.  Carbon,  as  it  is  known, 
exists  in  iron  as  diffused  graphite  in  a  crystalline  form,  and  as  combined 
carbon  :  the  dark  gray  and  softer  irons  contain  more  of  the  former;  the 
lighter  and  harder  irons  more  of  the  latter.” 

“  The  rate  of  corrosion  is  a  decreasing  one,  at  least  when  the  plumbago 
and  rust  first  formed  has  been  removed.  When,  however,  this  coating  re¬ 
mains  untouched,  the  rate  is  much  more  nearly  uniform,  and  is  nearly  pro- 


41 


portional  to  the  time  of  reaction,  in  given  conditions.  In  some  cases  even 
where  the  coating  had  been  removed,  an  increment  in  the  rate  had  taken 
place.  And  it  is  observable  that  this  almost  uniformly  occurred  in  those 
specimens  which  had  the  smallest  amount  of  corrosion  at  their  first  immer¬ 
sion.  Thus  there  was  a  tendency  to  a  greater  equality  in  the  index  of 
corrosion  in  all  the  varieties  of  iron  at  the  second  than  the  first  immersion.” 

“  The  size,  and  perhaps  the  form,  of  iron  casting,  forms  one  element  in  the 
rate  of  its  corrosion  in  water.  Because  the  thinner  castings  having  cooled  much 
faster  and  more  irregularly  than  the  thicker,  are  much  less  homogeneous,  and 
contain  veins  and  patches  harder  than  the  rest  of  their  substance :  hence  the 
formation  of  voltaic  couples  and  accelerated  corrosion. 

“ He  estimates  that  from  three-tenths  to  four-tenths  of  an  inch  in  depth,  of 
cast  iron  one  inch  thick,  and  about  six-tenths  of  an  inch  of  wrought  iron,  will  be 
destroyed  in  a  century ,  in  clear  water” 

“  As  to  the  nature  and  origin  of  the  peculiar  change  which  takes  place  in  the 
conversion  of  part  of  the  metal  into  an  entirely  different  substance,  but  little 
information,  beyond  what  was  already  known,  can  be  obtained  from  these 
reports.  It  is  stated  in  the  introductory  one,  before  the  result  of  the  experi¬ 
ments  was  ascertained,  as  a  fact  first  observed  by  Dr.  Priestly,  that  cast  iron 
being  immersed  in  sea  water  for  a  length  of  time,  has  its  metal  wholly  removed, 
and  becomes  changed  into  a  substance  analogous  to  plumbago,  mixed  with  oxide 
of  iron,  which  frequently,  though  not  invariably,  possesses  the  property  of 
heating  and  inflaming  spontaneously,  on  exposure  to  air ;  but  that  it  is  yet  by  no 
means  clear  how  it  is  produced,  what  is  its  precise  composition,  and  to  what  is 
owing  its  rise  of  temperature  on  exposure  to  air;  that  malleable  iron,  under 
circumstances  but  little  understood,  is  also  subject  to  this  change;  and  also, from 
various  statements  of  others,  it  would  seem  that  both  malleable  and  cast  iron 
are  affected  in  the  same  way,  when  immersed  in  water  holding  in  solution 
alkaline  or  earthy  salts  or  acids. 

“  The  subsequent  experiments  throw  no  new  light  on  the  cause  and  nature  of 
this  singular  phenomenon.  They  show,  however,  that  the  same  effect  is  pro¬ 
duced  by  the  action  of  air  and  fresh  water  ;  and  this  is  too  well  corroborated  by  our 
own  experience.” 

“  The  important  problem  of  preventing  the  corrosive  action  of  the  water,  by 
coating  the  interior  surface  of  the  pipe,  was  a  principal  object  of  Mr.  Mallet’s 
experiments.” 

“  The  various  results  of  Mr.  Mallet’s  experiments  are  exhibited  in  a  full 
series  of  tables,  which  present  to  the  engineer,  as  he  thinks,  *  sufficient  data  to 


42 


enable  him  to  predict  the  term  of  durability,  and  allow  for  the  loss  by  corrosion 
of  iron  in  all  conditions,  when  entering  into  his  structures.’ 

“The  last  information  to  which  we  shall  refer  ,on  this  subject,  is  contained  in 
a  paper  on  Tubercles  in  Iron  Pipes ,  by  M.  Gaudin,  Engineer  of  Bridges  and 
Roads,  published  in  the  Annales  de$  Ponts  et  Chaussees,  for  November  and 
December,  1851.  He  states  that  the  iron  conduit  at  Cherbourg,  constructed 
between  the  years  1836  and  1838,  of  white  casting,  nearly  1^  miles  long,  had 
become  everywhere  coated  with  tubercles,  which  in  some  places  had  an 
elevation  of  from  1.575  to  1.968  inches,  so  that  the  orifice  of  the  pipe,  which  was 
when  laid  about  7  inches  in  diameter,  had  been  reduced  to  less  than  one-third  its 
original  section.  The  consequence  of  the  diminution  of  the  orifice,  joined  to  the 
enormous  loss  of  head  occasioned  by  the  additional  friction,  had  deprived  many  of 
the  workshops  at  the  end  of  the  conduit  of  a  supply,  prevented  the  simultaneous 
playing  of  the  fountains,  and  made  the  supply  of  the  grand  reservoir  impossible,  or 
very  feeble. 

“  The  tubercles  were  very  broad  at  their  base,  and  very  strongly  adhering  to 
the  surface  of  the  pipe,  and  could  not  be  removed,  except  by  heating  the  pipe  to 
a  red  heat,  or  by  a  forcible  action  of  an  instrument.  They  were  of  a  greenish 
brown  color,  and  testaceous  structure,  and  on  exposure  to  the  air,  assumed  the 
color  of  yellow  ochre,  a  sure  sign  of  the  oxydation  of  part  of  the  iron  which 
entered  into  their  composition.  Their  density  was  almost  3.362.  A  chemical 
analysis  gave  the  following  results : — 

“Peroxyd  of  iron,  96  to  98. 

“  Silex  and  Alumine  (argel)  4  to  2. 

“  Chlorid  of  Sodium — traces. 

“Sulphate  of  Iron — traces. 

“They  were,  therefore,  almost  entirely  free  from  (at  least  as  far  as  regards 
the  iron  which  they  contained)  the  elementary  matters  contained  in  the  water 
in  solution — and,  indeed,  they  were  not  derived  from  substances  which  it  could  hold 
in  solution.  The  water  was  free  from  color,  taste  or  smell,  and  its  specific 
gravity  nearly  that  of  pure  water.  It  showed  on  analysis  by  chemical  tests, 

“A  very  small  quantity  of  carbonic  acid. 

“A  small  quantity  of  calcareous  earth. 

“A  small  quantity  of  sulphate  of  soda. 

“A  positive  quantity  of  chlorid  of  soda. 

“Little  or  none  of  the  metallic  salts. 

“And  little  or  no  iron. 


43 


“A  more  recent  analysis  of  the  water,  taken  before  its  passage  through  the 
conduit,  showed  its  density  to  be  scarcely  different  from  distilled  water ;  to 
reagents  it  only  showed  chlorids,  and  those,  chlorids  of  sodium ;  there  was 
no  trace  of  lime,  nor  sulphates,  nor  iron. 

“  He  considered  it  certain,  that  the  iron  in  the  tubercles  was  to  be  attributed, 
exclusively,  to  an  alteration  which  had  taken  place  in  the  pipes  themselves,  no 
matter  what  the  casting  might  be,  whether  white  or  gray.  And  as,  notwithstanding 
this  alteration,  there  could  pot  be  seen  in  the  pipe,  even  with  a  glass,  after 
it  had  been  well  rubbed,  any  difference  between  its  texture  and  that  of  new 
casting,  he  concludes,  that  the  deterioration  must  have  taken  place  over  the 
whole  surface  indiscriminately,  in  the  same  way.” 

“  In  reference  to  the  obtaining  some  remedy  for  the  evil,  he  observes,  that 
waters  the  most  pure  and  most  proper  for  the  ordinary  necessities  of  life,  afford 
no  exemption,  since  it  appears  invariable,  that  the  tubercles  are  in  an  especial 
manner  developed  by  the  presence  of  very  small  quantities  of  sea  salt,  which 
almost  all  waters  contain.  And  that  chemists  and  engineers  have  therefore 
recommended  the  forcing  of  linseed  oil  by  great  pressure  into  the  metal, 
and  also  coatings  of  mortars  and  hydraulic  cements  and  bituminous  coverings.” 

“  The  foregoing  statement  contains  a  very  brief  analysis  of  the  investigations 
which  have  been  made,  in  other  places,  of  the  nature,  origin,  and  mode  of 
remedying  the  evils  now  under  consideration,  as  far  as  they  have  come  to  our 
knowledge.  We  annex  to  it  the  able  and  interesting  communications  of  Pro¬ 
fessor  Horsford,  and  refer  to  the  report  of  the  City  Engineer,  to  show  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  our  own  experience  in  relation  to  them.  It  has  been  hoped  that  by 
bringing  to  the  notice  of  the  Council  all  the  facts  which  we  have  been  able  to 
accumulate,  and  offering  even  an  imperfect  sketch  of  the  researches  hitherto 
made  on  the  subject,  we  might  enlist  the  attention  not  only  of  those  who  are 
similarly  interested  with  ourselves,  but  also  of  men  of  science,  and  of  those 
who  are  engaged  in  the  production  of  the  metal  itself,  or  in  the  great  variety 
of  manufactures  and  constructions  in  which  iron  is  employed.  And  that,  if 
this  object  could  be  effected,  it  might  be  the  means  of  ascertaining  hereafter  some 
mode,  either  of  preventing  the  evil  in  its  origin  by  improvements  in  the 
castings ;  or,  of  arresting  or  retarding  its  further  progress,  by  the  intervention 
of  some  preparation  for  covering  and  protecting  the  surface  ;  or,  of  obtaining  a 
temporary  remedy  by  providing  a  mode  of  removing  the  obstructions  as  they 
from  time  to  time  appear. 

“Undoubtedly  the  most  important  change  which  takes  place  on  the  inner 
surface  of  the  pipes,  as  far  as  relates  to  any  immediate  results,  is  the  production 


44 


of  the  accretions.  The  formation  of  plumbago  or  something  like  it,  in  the 
place  of  the  iron  which  has  been  absorbed,  does  not,  indeed,  protect  the  metal 
beneath  it,  and  the  action  continues,  perhaps  even  with  a  slightly  accelerated 
force ;  but,  according  to  the  French  and  English  authorities,  its  progress  is  so 
slow  that  many  years  must  elapse  before  any  serious  consequences  from  it 
alone,  would  be  likely  to  happen.  It  is  probable  that  the  only  way  to  prevent 
this  action,  will  be  found  in  coating  the  surface  with  some  composition  which 
will  shield  it.” 

“  But  with  regard  to  the  accretions,  their  growth  has  been  more  rapid  and  im¬ 
portant ,  so  much  so  that  our  36  inch  and  30  inch  mains  have  become  already , 
in  consequence  of  the  actual  diminution  of  their  area  and  also  of  the  additional 
friction  which  has  been  occasioned,  scarcely  superior  in  capacity  to  those  of  34 
and  28  inches  having  a  clean  surface ;  and  we  have  had  sufficient  experience  on 
the  subject  to  convince  us  of  the  impolicy  of  making  use  of  wrought-iron  service 
pipes  at  all,  or  of  cast-iron  ones  of  less  than  4  inches  in  diameter .” 


“  Cambridge,  Jan.  14,  1852. 

_  f 

“  Tnos.  "Wetmore,  Esq. 

“  President  of  the  Cochituate  Water  Board. 

“  Dear  Sir, — In  reply  to  your  favor  of  the  5th  instant,  in  relation  to  the 
accretions  in  the  Cochituate  iron  mains,  I  have  to  regret  that  my  investiga¬ 
tions  thus  far  have  thrown  but  little  light  upon  the  question  of  most  import¬ 
ance  ;  to  wit,  How  far  will  these  accretions  extend? 

“A  brief  statement  of  the  present  condition  of  the  pipes  will  show  the 
bearing  of  this  inquiry. 

“At  the  two  points  near  Dover  street,  where  one  of  the  main  iron  pipes 
was  taken  up  for  repairs  in  the  last  autumn,  there  were  found  upon  the  in¬ 
terior  surface  of  the  pipe,  nodules  varying  from  half  an  inch  to  three  inches  in 
diameter ,  a,t  the  base,  and  having  a  height  of  from  one  quarter  to  a  little  more 
than  half  an  inch.  Some  of  them  were  of  a  reddish,  others  of  a  dirty  yellow 
color,  and  those  of  each  color  invariably  in  a  group  by  themselves.  They 
presented  concentric  structure  within,  and  rested  in  many  cases  upon  slightly 
elevated  portions  of  the  surface  of  the  pipe.  These  elevated  portions  were 
co-extensive  with  the  inferior  surface  of  the  nodules,  were  of  a  dark  brown 
color,  and  crumbled  at  once  to  powder  upon  being  scratched  with  a  knife. 

“  Portions  of  the  surface  of  some  sections  of  pipe  were  quite  free  from  accre¬ 
tions.  In  some  areas,  the  accretions  were  all  small ;  in  others  most  were 


45 


large.  There  seemed  to  he  no  tendency  among  them  to  gather  upon  the  bottom 
rather  than  upon  the  top  and  sides.  *  *  *  *  * 

“  The  suggestion  that  the  accretions  might  be  due  to  the  growth  of  some 
kind  of  vegetation  in  which  were  lodged  particles  of  the  ochreous  matter  in 
suspension  in  small  quantity  in  the  Cochituate  water,  and  which  gives  to  it 
its  occasional  faint  wine  color,  which  is  found  on  the  bottom  of  the  tunnel, 
and  which  accumulates  in  the  filters — was  not  sustained  by  microscopic  examin¬ 
ation.  ******** 

“There  are  reasons  for  believing  the  slight  elevations  of  surface  observed 
immediately  beneath  the  accretions,  to  be  due  to  changes  in  the  texture  of 
the  iron  arising  from  the  growth  of  the  accretion,  and  not  to  an  original 
irregularity  of  the  casting ;  and  further  for  believing  that  the  accretions  are 
indebted  for  their  iron  to  the  surface  upon  which  they  rest ,  and  not  at  all ,  or  but 
very  slightly,  to  the  water  which  flows  over  them. 

“  I  have  wrought-iron  pipes  of  1  1-2  inches  calibre,  which  are  coated  with 
accretions  interiorly,  and  which  in  12  months  have  been  eaten  through,  from 
within  outward ,  by  the  circulation  of  cold  Cochituate  water.  I  have  others  of 
the  same  diameter,  which  in  3  months  have  been  eaten  through  by  the  circulation 
of  hot  Cochituate  water. 

“/  have  another  pipe,  1  inch  in  diameter,  which  in  12  months  was  so  nearly 
closed  by  accretions  throughout  its  entire  length,  that  it  was  removed  because  it 
ceased  to  serve  water." 

“The  solicitude  lies  in  two  directions.  In  the  first  place,  the  accretions 
diminish  the  serving  capacity.  Taking  the  present  average  thickness  of  the 
incrustation  at  3-8  of  an  inch,  the  serving  capacity  of  a  pipe  36  inches  in 
diameter  is  reduced  by  the  amount  of  an  area  of  42  3-8  square  inches,  which 
is  equal  to  a  cylindrical  pipe  7.3  inches  in  diameter.  If  we  conceive  the 
accretion  to  go  uniformly  forward  at  this  rate  of  14  1-8  square  inches  per 
annum,  it  would  become  a  matter  of  immediate  grave  consideration.  In  the 
second  place :  the  accretions  are  formed  at  the  expense  of  the  iron  upon  which 
they  rest.  With  their  increased  thickness  will  come,  at  a  remote  period,  diminished 
strength  of  the  iron. 

******* 

“  I  am,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 


“E.  N.  HORSFORD.” 


46 


The  foregoing  statements  have  been  given  somewhat  at 
length  because  we  are  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
this  subject  to  all  present  or  prospective  plans  for  supplies 
of  water.  Our  own  conclusions  have  been  derived  from 
careful  examinations  of  this  kind  of  pipe,  which  have  satis¬ 
fied  us  of  its  value ;  and  we  would  respectfully  suggest  to 
you  the  propriety  of  appointing  a  committee  to  examine  the 
pipe  now  in  use  and  in  progress  of  construction  in  several 
parts  of  the  country,  before  any  system  of  distribution  is 
finally  adopted. 


RESERVOIRS. 

From  the  surveys  made  'by  the  undersigned  for  the 
State  in  1848,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  flow  of  the  Hone- 
oye  outlet  did  not  exceed  4,000,000  gallons  per  day,  in  the 
dry  seasons.  It  was  also  found  that  by  lowering  the  sur¬ 
face  of  Hemlock  lake  6  inches  (using  it  as  a  storing  Reser¬ 
voir)  a  daily  supply  of  over  2,000,000  of  gallons  would  be 
obtained  for  about  five  months. 

It  is  evident  either  that  the  whole  supply  of  the  outlet 
may  be  taken,  by  compensating  the  mill  privileges  on  its 
banks  ;  or  the  lake  itself  used  during  the  dry  seasons  as  a 
storing  Reservoir.  We  have,  however,  advised  the  plan  of 
a  storing  Reservoir  at  Henrietta,  on  account  of  its  proxi¬ 
mity  to  the  distributing  Reservoir,  in  case  of  accident  to 
the  line  of  conduit,  and  its  purifying  effect  on  the  water 
before  its  immediate  use. 

Such  a  Reservoir  may  be  constructed  in  Henrietta,  at 
moderate  expense,  several  suitable  locations  being  available. 


47 


THE  DISTRIBUTING  RESERVOIR 

Is  proposed  to  be  located  on  the  high  grounds  south  of  the 
city  and  east  of  Mount  Hope,  covering  an  extent  of  four  acres, 
with  a  surface  elevation  of  100  feet  above  the  Erie  Canal,  the 
depth  being  25  feet.  If  Plan  Ho.  3  or  4  should  be  adopted, 
an  additional  cost  for  filtering  arrangement  will  be  neces¬ 
sary  on  account  of  the  quality  of  the  water  proposed  to  be 

used  under  these  Plans.  The  quantity  contained  will  be 

# 

equivalent  to  four  weeks’  supply  at  present  and  two  weeks’ 
supply  12  years  hence. 

The  elevation  of  this  Reservoir  has  been  placed  at  100  feet 
above  the  Canal,  to  provide  for  sufficient  supply  and  head  for 
domestic  uses,  and  especially  for  protection  in  oase  of  fire. 
The  loss  of  head  through  a  connected  system  of  mains  and 
pipes  is  considerable ;  and,  as  the  elevations  of  the  streets  in 
several  parts  of  Rochester  are  about  twenty-five  feet  above  the 
Canal,  no  system  can  be  recommended  which  does  not  pro¬ 
vide  for  every  locality.  Some  idea  of  the  loss  of  head  by 
friction  in  distribution  pipes  may  be  obtained  from  the  follow¬ 
ing  extract  from  a  report  of  G.  R.  Baldwin,  Esq.,  Civil  Engi¬ 
neer  “  on  supplying  the  city  of  Quebec  with  pure  water,” 
made  in  1848. 


“At  Philadelphia  the  water  will  rise  from  a  hose  attached  to  a  fire  plug  in 
the  street,  at  the  extreme  point  of  delivery  during  the  night,  to  the  height  of 
about  forty-five  or  fifty  feet ;  during  the  day,  when  the  consumption  of  water  is 
very  great,  twenty  to  thirty  feet.  Head  of  water  in  this  case  was  probably  not 
far  from  one  hundred  feet." 


.  The  location  of  this  Reservoir  has  been  adopted  at  the  point 
named,  although  involving  some  additional  expenditure  for 


48 


V 


want  of  a  suitable  location  as  to  size  and  elevation,  nearer  the 
Genesee  River,  or  west  of  Mount  Hope. 


DISTRIBUTION . 

The  system  of  Distribution  commences  at  the  Distributing 
Reservoir  with  an  18  inch  main,  through  St.  Paul  street  to 
Erie  Canal,  and  thence  across  the  Canal  and  River  to  the 
corner  of  Exchange  and  Troup  streets.  A  16  inch  main  will 
be  laid  through  Exchange  to  Buffalo  streets,  the  continuation 
in  St.  Paul  street  north  being  a  12  inch  main.  Stop¬ 
cocks  at  the  main  branches  have  been  included  in  the  esti¬ 
mates,  with  hydrants  every  two  blocks. 

The  system  of  mains  and  pipes  will  provide  for  an  eventual 
supply  of  2,500,000  gallons,  of  which  1,500,000  will  be  used 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Genesee  River.  The  first  class,  em¬ 
bracing  14  miles,  and  11  miles  of  the  second  class,  will  supply 
the  present  wants  of  the  city ,  the  entire  arrangement  being 
shown  in  the  following  statement : 


Distributing 

Main, 

•  •  • 

18  In. 

Diameter,  . 

.  10,000 

feet 

ii 

a 

•  •  • 

16  “ 

tt 

•  • 

3/700 

ii 

ii 

a 

•  •  • 

12  “ 

U 

•  • 

.  11,900 

ii 

a 

Pipes, 

1st  class, 

8  “ 

4 

.  10,450 

<< 

a 

<( 

ii 

6  “ 

H 

.  32,580 

ii 

a 

<< 

ii 

4  “ 

a 

.  18,100 

ii 

a 

<( 

2d  class, 

8  “ 

ii 

.  26,300 

a 

a 

ii 

ii 

6  “ 

a 

.  14,050 

a 

a 

it 

ii 

4  “ 

a 

.  63,260 

a 

a 

ii 

3d  class, 

8  “ 

a 

1,700 

a 

a 

ii 

u 

6  “ 

a 

.  16,650 

a 

a 

ii 

<< 

4  “ 

a 

.  80,250 

a 

49 

Summary. 

18  Tn.  Main, 

.  ■  10,000  feet. 

16  “ 

8,700  “ 

12  “ 

11,900  “ 

8  ‘‘  Pipe, 

38,450  “ 

6  “ 

63,280  “ 

^  u  u 

161,610  “ 

It  is  believed  that  the  foregoing  Report  comprises  the 
principal  features  of  all  the  sources  of  supply  available  in  the 
vicinity  of  Rochester.  The  time  which  has  been  occupied  in 
making  the  necessary  instrumental  examinations,  and  arrang¬ 
ing  the  several  plans  of  machinery,  has  been  somewhat 
limited,  and  many  of  the  details  remain  in  manuscript,  which 
can  be  more  fully  perfected  hereafter,  in  case  either  of  the 
proposed  plans  is  adopted.  These,  with  any  other  information 
on  this  subject,  in  our  possession,  are  at  your  service. 

With  regard  to  the  estimates  made,  it  is  proper  for  us  to 
say,  that  reliable  and  experienced  parties  have  intimated  their 
willingness  to  contract  for  the  work  at  the  prices  named, 
investing  a  liberal  proportion  in  the  stock  of  the  Company  at 
par  value. 

Respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

CHARLES  B.  STUART, 
DANIEL  MARSH, 

Firm  of  Stuart,  Serrell  &  Co., 

Civil  Engineers ,  New  York. 

New  York,  Oct.  1,1858. 


4 


» 


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f 


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